THREE 


A   HAND-BOOK   OF  THE 
AGASSIZ  ASSOCIATION 


BY 

HARLAN    H.JJ3ALLARD 

PRESIDENT   OF   THE   ASSOCIATION 


BRING  US  THE  AIRS  OF  HILLS  AND  FORESTS, 
THE  SWEET  AROMA  OF  BIRCH  AND  PINE, 

GIVE  US  A  WAFT  OF  THE  NORTH  WIND  LADEN 
WITH  SWEET  BRIAR  ODORS,  AND  BREATH  OF  KINfi! 

— WHITTIER 


ST.   LOUIS 

PRESS   OF 

A.     MEKEEL,   PUBLISHER 
1897 


Copyright,  1888,  by 
H    H.  BAKLARD. 


K- 


DEDICATED    TO    THE    MEMORY    OF 


IN  THE  HOPE  OF  LEADING  MANY  TO  FOLLOW 
IN  HIS  FOOTSTEPS. 


01375481 


PREFACE. 

Calls  for  new  editions  are  always  gratifying-  to  an 
author.  It  is  in  response  to  such  a  call  that  this,  the 
fourth  edition  of  the  Agassiz  Association,  has  been  pre- 
pared. It  has  been  carefully  revised  and  brought  up  to 
date,  and  is  now  issued  with  renewed  acknowledgments 
to  all  who  have  assisted  in  its  preparation. 

H.  II.  BALLARD, 

Pittsfleld,  Mass.,  Aug.  1,  1897. 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

To  THIRD  EDITION. 

This  book  is  the  child  of  necessity,  and  was  made 
to  serve  instead  of  a  personal  reply  to  the  inquiries  con- 
cerning1 the  Agassiz  Association,  which  came  more  rapid- 
ly than  pen  could  answer  them.  For  about  two  years  a 
list  of  all  such  questions  was  carefully  kept,  and  then 
the  answers  were  written  here  as  concisely  and  accurate- 
ly as  possible.  As  the  Association  has  grown  the  ques- 
tions have  increased  in  number  and  scope,  so  that  with 
eacih  new  edition  comes  the  necessity  for  an  enlargement 
and  revision  of  the  book.  Professor  Hyatt  has  honored 
our  work  to  the  verge  of  flattery  in  his  whole-hearted 
introduction.  To  Professors  W.  W.  Bailey,  of  Providence, 
K.  I.;  T.  H.  McBride,  of  Iowa  City,  la.,  and  William  B. 
Werthner,  of  Dayton,  O.,  our  readers  are  indebted  for  the 
valuable  suggestions  in  botanical  work.  Professor  W.  O. 
has  revised  the  chapter  on  the  study  of  minerals. 
The  Manhattan  Chapter  of  the  Agassiz  Association  has 
given  assistance  with  regard  to  taxidermy.  The  List  of 
Books  could  not  have  been  properly  prepared  but  for  the 
co-operation  of  Professors  McBride,  Crosby,  Stokes  and 
Clarke;  Geo.  Bird  Grinnell,  Ph.D.;  S.  P.  Sharpies,  State 
Assayer;  Hilborne  T.  Cresson,  and,  particularly,  Mr.  O. 
Bjerregaard,  of  the  Astor  Library,  and  Dr.  W.  H.  Seaman, 
wTho  have  diligently  revised  the  entire  list.  Other  assist- 
ance is  acknowledged  in  the  text,  and  if  among  so  many 
helpers  any  have  failed  of  mention,  it  is  not  for  lack  of 
appreciation,  but  because  the  book  is  now  in  press  and 
cannot  be  consulted.  Finally,  the  author  wishes  to  ex- 
press his  gratitude  to  the  publishers  for  their  hearty 
interest  and  most  kind  and  courteous  consideration. 

Pittsfield,  Mass.,  Jan.  14,  1888. 


INTRODUCTION 

To  THIRD  EDITION. 

Boston  Society  of  Natural  History, 

Boston,  Mass.,  Jan.  2,  1838. 
The  Writers  Publishing  Company: 

Dear  Sirs: — Having  done  me  the  honor  to  request 
that  1  should  send  you  an  introduction  to  your  new 
edition  of  the  Hand -Book  of  the  Agassiz  Association,  I 
have  written  out  a  few  thoughts  which  I  hope  will  be 
considered  suitable  for  that  purpose.  I  have  also  taken 
the  liberty  of  making  an  appeal,  which  you  had  not  re- 
quested me  to  do,  but  which  I  think  ought  to  be  made,  in 
order  to  secure  the  future  of  the  Association  and  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  good  work  it  has  begun. 


If  science  has  any  moral  strength,  it  lies  in  making 
the  fearless  pursuit  of  truth  an  end  in  itself,  without 
reference  to  the  ordinary  limitations  of  expediency. 
Nevertheless,  this  higher  mode  of  life,  when  carried  to 
excess,  has  certain  more  or  less  injurious  reactions  upon 
the  mind.  The  scientific  recluse  shut  up  in  his  own 
thoughts,  as  in  a  cell,  and  magnifying  the  grandeur  and 
importance  of  his  own  work  at  the  expense  of  that  of 
others  not  exclusively  devoted  to  research,  is  more  nearly 
a  modern  imitator  of  the  monastic  original  than  most 
persons  are  apt  to  suppose. 

Three  classes  of  men  have  been  required  for  the  ac- 
complishment of  the  greater  triumphs  of  science:  the  in- 
vestigators or  discoverers  of  abstract  and  often  appar- 
ently useless  truths,  teachers  of  all  grades,  and  popular- 
izers.  The  great  man  after  whom  your  organization  has 
been  named,  Louis  Agassiz,  was  in  his  younger  days  pre- 
eminently an  investigator;  later  in  life  he  became,  per- 
haps even  more,  a  teacher,  and  also  a  popularizer  of 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

natural  history.  He  possessed  faculties  of  rare  power 
in  all  three  directions,  and,  therefore,  succeeded  in  mak- 
ing a  deep  and  lasting-  impression  upon  the  history  of 
science,  as  well  as  upon  the  minds  of  the  people.  Before 
his  day  scientific  men  were  looked  upon  as  busy  triflers; 
after  that  time  they  had  gained  a  certain  standing-  in  the 
eyes  of  the  public,  and  in  the  permanent  respect  of  the 
better  educated  classes.  I  have  often  heard  him  say  that 
science  in  America  could  not  prosper  without  the  good- 
will and  respect  of  the  people. 

Darwin's  service  to  science  would  have  been  much 
slighter  in  its  immediate  effect  had  it  not  been  lor  the 
multitude  of  teachers  who  echoed  his  voice  in  every 
institution  of  learning,  and  the  lecturers  who  repeated 
his  theme  with  infinite  variations  from  every  rostrum 
and  newspaper  throughout  the  civilized  world. 

Fortunately  for  the  future  of  science  in  this  country 
there  is  now  a  daily  increasing  popular  constituency. 
This  has  been  largely  gained  by  the  unselfish  and  unre- 
warded efforts  of  investigators,  and  also  by  a  growing 
disposition  on  their  part  to  help  forward  all  organiza- 
tions, having  the  education  of  the  public  in  view.  Though 
needing  as  much  as  other  men  the  comforts  of  life,  and 
having  as  great  desire  for  the  enjoyment  of  its  luxuries, 
and  feeling  quite  as  keenly  the  need  of  making  every 
effort  remunerative,  they  have  nevertheless  not  hesitated 
to  sacrifice  their  valuable  time  that  others  might  be 
better  educated  and  the  cause  of  scientific  culture  ad- 
vanced. 

Sooner  or  later  in  the  history  of  institutions  there 
comes  a  period  of  ripe  development  and  increasing  use- 
fulness, which  must  be  supported  not  only  by  those  bene- 
fited— the  members  and  patrons — but  by  larger  income 
derived  from  invested  funds  or  from  the  government. 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

The  work  of  the  Agassiz  Association  is  of  vast  import- 
ance to  science,  but  if  it  were  not  dependent  upon  volun- 
tary labor,  its  efficiency  would  be  even  greater  than  it  is. 
It  has  already  reached  a  period  when  provision  should 
begin  to  be  made  for  placing  its  work  upon  the  more  per- 
manent basis  of  funded  property  and  paid  labor.  That 
it  is  worthy  of  the  support  already  received  from  its 
thousands  of  members  cannot  be  questioned,  and  this  is 
a  sufficient  guarantee  that  it  would  be  a  proper  and  use- 
ful trustee  and  administrator  of  a  part  of  the  large  sums 
annually  distributed  by  public-spirited  persons  to  insti- 
tutions having  not  a  tithe  of  its  claims  to  their  favorable 
consideration. 

The  support  now  obtainable  from  legislators  for  the 
uses  of  science  is  hard  to  get,  simply  because  they  have, 
as  individuals,  no  practical  experience  of  the  benefits  of 
science-teaching,  either  in  their  own  lives  or  those  of 
their  children.  They  allow  themselves  to  be  persuaded 
frequently  into  giving  appropriations  for  the  benefit  of 
science,  but  they  know  that  their  constituents  have  little 
sympathy,  and  are  even  less  disposed  than  themselves  to 
allow  the  public  money  to  be  used  for  what  seems  to 
them  purely  aesthetical  purposes.  The  arrival  of 
the  public  at  a  stage  of  enlightenment  and  proper 
appreciation  whicth  must  render  the  task  of  science  light- 
er and  more  effective,  will  probably  be  much  facilitated 
by  the  work  of  the  Agassiz  Association.  The  numerous 
chapters  scattered  throughout  the  land  cannot  fail  to 
effect  more  or  less  of  a  revolution  in  the  modes  of  life  and 
thought  of  thousands  of  families,  and  through  them 
sensibly  affect  many  communities.  Leaving  out  of  sight 
all  other  effects,  this  influence  alone  would  entitle  the 
Association  to  the  support  of  scientific  men.  The  labors 
of  the  Association  are,  however,  entitled  to  serious  con- 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

sideration  in  other  ways,  and  the  actual  results  of  the 
work  done  are  as  astonishing  as  the  unprecedented  quick- 
ness of  growth  of  the  Association  in  numbers  and  in- 
fluence. 

The  originator  of  this  enterprise  has  done  something 
permanent  toward  developing  and  spreading  a  taste  for 
self-culture  in  an  almost  new  sense,  so  far  as  the  ma- 
jority of  people  are  concerned.  He  has  sihown  that  there 
is  a  practicable  method  by  which  the  average  intelligence 
and  self-reliant  character  of  the  people  outside  of  the 
schoolroom,  as  well  as  in  it,  can  be  effectively  increased. 
He  has  taught  thousands  how  to  work  with  whatever 
means  were  at  hand,  not  only  for  their  own  intellectual 
improvement,  but  for  that  of  their  children  and  neigh- 
bors. This  must  also  eventually  affect  the  curriculum  of 
the  public  schools  in  many  places,  through  the  creation 
6f  a  demand  for  better  and  more  natural  methods  of  in- 
struction. If  he  devote  the  remainder  of  his  life  to  carry- 
ing on  and  perfecting  the  system  he  has  originated,  he 
can  do  nothing  more  desirable  for  the  interests  of  science 
in  this  country,  or  more  likely  to  secure  future  happiness 
and  personal  satisfaction  for  himself,  as  well  as  for  many 
thousands  of  his  country-people  of  all  ages  and  both 
sexes. 

I  should  also  take  the  liberty  of  saying  that  material 
returns  should  not  be  wanting,  in  order  to  secure  the  en- 
joyment of  something  more  than  the  personal  satisfac- 
tion of  having  done  good  work,  and  that  the  Association 
should  be  placed  on  a  permanent  basis,  and  its  work  se- 
cured, now  and  in  the  future,  by  means  of  large  invested 
funds.  Respectfully  yours, 

ALPHEUS  HYATT. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Page. 
History  of  the  Agassiz  Association 15 

CHAPTER  II. 

How  to  Organize  a  Chapter  and  Conduct  a  Meeting- 

— Parliamentary — By -Laws  28 

CHAPTER  III. 
A   Plan   of    Work 35 

CHAPTER  IV. 
How  to  Start  a  Museum 41 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Collection  and  Preservation  of  Plants 47 

CHAPTER  VI. 
How  to  Collect  and  Preserve  Sea-Weed 57 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Plans  for  Botanical  Work CO 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
How  to  Collect,  Study,  and  Preserve  Insects 67 

CHAPTER  IX. 
How  to  Collect  and  Preserve  Birds  and  Eggs 74 


14  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  X. 

Page. 
How  to  Collect,  Study  and  Preserve  Minerals 79 

CHAPTEK  XI. 
Archaeology  and  Ethnology 85 

CHAPTEK  XII. 

Wha,t  to  do  in  Winter— Work  for  the  City 88 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Exchanging 91 

CHAPTEK  XIV. 
Reports  From  Chapters  and  Corresponding  Members,  93 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Books  Recommended  102 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Notes 126 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  Council  of  the  Agassiz  Association 131 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Helps  Over  Hard  Places 133 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Badge— The  Charter— "The  Swiss  Cross"— The 

Hand-Book    -. 140 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Recapitulation  and  Conclusion 142 


THREE  KIN@D©M5. 

CHAPTER    I. 
HISTORY  OF  THE  AGASSIZ  ASSOCIATION— THE  ORIGIN. 

The  Agassiz  Association,  for  the  observation  and 
study  of  natural  objects,  was  founded  in  1875  by  the 
writer,  in  connection  with  a  school  which  he  was  then 
teaching  in  Lenox,  Mass.  It  was  the  outgrowth  of  a 
life-long  love  for  nature,  and  a  belief  that  education  is 
incomplete  unless  it  include  some  practical  knowledge 
of  the  common  objects  that  surround  us.  For  several 
years  the  little  school  society  continued  its  work  pleas- 
antly and  with  profit.  The  president  gradually  came  to 
the  opinion  (strengthened  by  reading  an  account  of  a 
somewhat  similar,  though  far  more  limited,  organiza- 
tion in  Switzerland),  that  there  might  be  other  communi- 
ties in  which  a  like  society  would  be  welcomed,  and  sev- 
eral branch  societies  were  organized.  To  test  the  matter 
more  fully,  having  obtained  the  cordial  cooperation  of 
the  editors  of  St.  Nicholas,  a  general  invitation  to  unite  in 
the  work  was  published  in  1880,  in  the  November  number 
of  that  magazine.  It  was  substantially  as  follows: 

THE  INVITATION. 

You  must  know  that,  across  the  ocean  and  over  the 
Alps,  the  boys  and  girls  of  Switzerland  have  a  bright  idea. 
They  have  formed  a  society,  and  they  have  a  badge. 
The  badge  is  a  spray  of  evergreen,  and  the  society  is  a 
Natural  History  Society. 


16  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

Once  a  year,  in  the  spring-time,  when  the  sun  has 
lifted  the  ice-curtain  from  the  lakes,  so  that  the  fishes 
can  look  out,  and  the  flowers  can  look  in,  the  children 
from  far  and  near  come  together  for  a  meeting  and  a 
holiday.  They  are  the  boys  and  girls  for  a  tramp!  Their 
sturdy  legs  and  long  staves,  their  strong  bodies  and  short 
dresses,  their  gay  stockings  and  stout  shoes  prove  that 
beyond  a  question. 

The  long  golden  hair  of  the  girls,  tightly  braided  and 
firing  knotted  with  gay  ribbons,  flashes  brightly  as 
they  go  clambering  over  rocks,  leaping  across  rivulets, 
scrambling  along  glaciers,  and  climbing  steep  cliffs. 

When  the  village  schoolmaster,  who  usually  leads 
these  excursions,  blows  his  horn,  back  come  the  children, 
like  laughing  echoes,  with  baskets,  pockets,  boxes,  and 
bags  full  of  the  treasures  of  the  wood. 

Then  they  eat  their  dinner  us  we  wculd  take  ;i  piciiic; 
and  after  that,  spread  out  their  trophies,  and  decide  who 
has  found  the  most,  and  who  the  rarest.  They  g-et  the 
master  to  name  them,  if  he  can,  and  laugh  in  mischiev- 
ous triumph  when  he  fails. 

With  the  lengthening  shadows,  the  children  return  to 
their  homes,  and  arrange  their  mosses,  ferns  and  flowers, 
their  pebbles  and  beetles  and  butterflies,  in  cabinets,  and 
declare,  in  their  quaint  accents,  that  they  have  had  a 
glorious  time.  And  have  they  not?  The  fresh,  crisp  air, 
the  holiday,  the  sunshine,  the  picnic,  the  gathered  speci- 
mens, and  a  teacher  to  tell  them  Latin  names!  No  won- 
der they  enjoy  it.  Would  not  you? 

But,  on  reflection,  we  have  all  those  things  in  this 
country,  could  we  once  bring  them  together  in  the  right 
proportions.  We  have  holidays  enough — there  are  Satur- 
days. Schoolmasters  are  as  plentiful  as  schools.  This 
is  the  same  sun  that  shines  on  Switzerland,  and  it  can 


THE  AGASSIZ  ASSOCIATION.  17 

find  golden  hair  to  kindle,  without  waiting1  for  the  sea  to 
turn  under  it.  Why,  then,  cannot  AVC  have  a  Natural 
History  Society  in  America?  In  fact,  we  already  have  a 
little  one,  up  here  in  these  Berkshire  Hills.  And  we  en- 
joy it  so  thoroughly,  and  learn  so  much  from  it,  that  we 
wish  it  to  grow  larger. 

Not  many  of  you  need  be  told  why  we  have  named 
our  Society  THE  AGASSIZ  ASSOCIATION.  There  are 
few  that  have  not  heard  something  of  the  life  and  work 
of  that  famous  man — so  universally  honored  and  beloved 
— Professor  Louis  Agassiz.  In  1846  the  great  Naturalist 
left  his  native  Switzerland,  made  America  his  home,  ac- 
cepted a  Professorship  at  Harvard  College,  and  built  up 
the  greatest  school  of  Natural  History  in  this  country. 
Though  one  of  the  most  learned,  he  was  also  one  of  the 
most  devout  and  gentle  of  men. 

Mrs.  Agassiz,  the  widow  of  Louis  Agassiz,  and  Profes- 
sor Alexander  Agassiz,  his  son,  lend  their  cordial  ap- 
proval to  our  Society  and  its  work,  and  have  very  kindly 
given  us  permission  to  use  the  father's  name. 

THE  RESPONSE. 

This  invitation  met  a  response  at  once  gratifying 
and  unexpected.  A  very  general  interest  in  the  study 
of  nature  has  been  evinced  by  young  and  old.  Classes 
or  chapters  have  been  formed  in  different  towns,  under 
the  direction  of  the  central  organization,  and,  where  this 
has  been  impracticable,  individuals  have  joined  as  cor- 
responding members.  Since  1880,  more  than  twenty 
thousand  students  have  been  aided,  and  more  than 
twelve  hundred  local  scientific  societies  established. 
Though  originally  planned  as  an  aid  to  young  people,  the 
interest  of  the  older  ones  has  proved  even  greater,  and 
we  are  gratified  to  find  on  our  roll  of  membership  the 


18  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

names  of  many  fathers  and  mothers,  teachers  and  pro- 
fessors. Several  of  our  chapters  are  composed  wholly 
of  adults;  many  of  old  and  young  working1  together. 
Family  chapters  areamongonr  most  successful  branches. 

SCHOOL   SOCIETIES. 

As  the  A.  A.  has  become  better  known,  it  has  found  a 
wide  field  of  usefulness  in  connection  with  schools,  both 
private  and  public.  Many  teachers  who  have  not  been 
able  to  find  a  place  for  natural  science  in  the  ordinary 
curriculum,  and  who  have  yet  felt  that  their  pupils  should 
not  grow  up  strangers  to  the  flowers,  trees,  birds,  and 
butterflies,  have  been  glad  to  devote  an  hour  once  a  fort- 
night to  the  guidance  of  a  meeting  devoted  to  these  stud- 
ies. In  almost  every  school  may  be  found,  at  the  least, 
six  of  the  more  intelligent  boys  and  girls  who  will  will- 
ingly spend  an  evening  now  and  then  in  united  study 
and  discussion.  The  young  are  naturally  fond  of  collect- 
ing. Most  school  committees  will  cheerfully  grant  the 
use  of  a  room  for  the  meetings,  arid  many  will  even  pro- 
vide suitable  cases  for  the  specimens.  In  each  of  the 
several  hundred  schools  in  which  branches  of  the  Agas- 
siz  Association  have  been  organized,  the  resultant  work 
of  personal  observation  has  had  a  marked  tendency  to 
counteract  the  evils  of  rote-work  and  routine.  In  most 
cases  cabinets  have  been  secured  and  have  been  filled 
with  specimens  collected  by  the  pupils  themselves  within 
a  radius  of  five  miles  of  the  school-house  door.  Visit  such 
a  society  and  ask  to  be  shown  representations  of  the  local 
fauna,  flora,  or  mineralia.  The  young  men  and  women 
will  show  you  collections  carefully  prepared,  accurately 
labeled,  diligently  studied,  highly  valued,  and  exceed- 
ingly valuable.  The  Agassiz  Association  does  not  so 
much  care  for  rarities  or  monstrosities.  Our  cabinets 


SCHOOL  SOCIETIES.  19 

are  neither  junk-shops  nor  dime-museum? .  Our  purpose 
is  rather  to  learn  about  the  stones  by  the  roadside  and  in 
the  quarry;  to  become  familiar  with  the  plants  we  pass 
on  our  way  to  school,  and  with  the  insects  that  feed 
upon  and  fertilize  them;  to  get  on  speaking  terms  with, 
and  out  of  all  cruel  relations  to,  each  warbler  of  the  or- 
chard and  the  wildwood;  to  discover  what  fishes  swim 
in  our  brooks,  what  shells  lie  on  our  beaches  and  hide 
in  our  groves,  what  invisible  animalcules  live  in  our 
ponds  and  ditches,  what  stars  ?bine  in  our  sky.  It  was 
a  dream  of  Louis  Agassiz  himself  to  see  American  youth 
early  led  into  the  pleasant  paths  of  natural  science;  to 
see  them  forsaking  all  foolish  and  wanton  sport  for  the 
sake  of  a  wise  and  loving  study  of  the  works  of  God. 

Every  teacher  has  at  some  time  felt  how  delightful  it 
would  be  if  she  could  only  lead  her  pupils  to  see  the  inex- 
pressible beauty  that  lies  hid  from  unawakened  eyes  in 
pebble  and  leaf  and  wing.  But  many  have  been  dis- 
couraged from  making  any  serious  endeavor  from  fear  of 
failure.  It  is  better  to  try  and  fail,  than  fail  for  fear  of 
trying.  It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that  there  are 
usually  serious  hindrances  in  the  way.  First  of  all,  many 
teachers  feel  that  they  are  already  working  at  too  high  a 
tension.  Then  others,  not  having  enjoyed  special  training 
in  natural  science,  feel  a  modest  reluctance  about  attempt- 
ing to  train  others.  In  other  cases  it  is  found  difficult  to 
inspire  and  maintain  among  the  young'  a  strong  and 
growing  interest  in  these  matters.  The  first  of  these 
objections  can  be  met  by  making  the  association-work 
an  avocation  instead  of  a  vocation ;  a  calling  from  work, 
instead  of  a  calling  to  it.  Take  your  pupils  with  you  for 
an  occasional  afternoon,  if  you  can  get  leave  of  absence; 
and,  my  word  for  it,  you  and  they  will  fare  none  the 
worse  at  the  end  of  the  term  for  the  exchange  of  one 


20  Tffh'EE  KINGDOMS. 

or  two  grammar  recitations,  or  examinations  in  geo- 
graphy, for  a  little  practical  knowledge  of  what  lives  and 
moves  and  has  its  being  out  of  doors,  and  a  few  lungfuls 
of  crisp  June  or  October  oxygen. 

Your  own  ignorance,  if  that  is  what  you  do  own  on 
these  matters,  will  the  better  enable  you  to  study  with 
your  pupils;  and  next  to  instruction  from  the  most  gifted 
master,  nothing  is  more  inspiring  than  such  friendly 
companionship  in  learning.  As  for  failing  to  interest 
your  pupils,  remember  that  a  taste  for  the  pure  pleasures 
of  natural  science,  like  a  taste  for  olives,  must  be  culti- 
vated by  persistent  tasting!  After  one  or  two  excur- 
sions, followed  by  a  careful  study  of  the  specimens  ob- 
tained, with  the  personal  use  of  microscope  or  blowpipe, 
enthusiasm  generally  groAvs  like  purslane.  You  will 
find,  too,  that  the  Association  will  be  a  great  help  to  you. 
We  have  now  about  fifty  scientific  specialists  always 
ready  to  aid  the  members  by  answering  their  letters  of 
inquiry,  and  by  determining  their  specimens  for  them, 
free  of  cost,  save  postage. 

A  boy  in  a  grammar  school  in  the  uttermost  parts  of 
Dakota  becomes  interested  in  fishes.  He  finds  the  com- 
mon varieties  that  he  knows,  and  studies  them.  By  and 
by  he  takes  in  his  net  or  on  his  hook  a  stranger.  He  finds 
no  account  of  him  in  the  small  zoolog}'  in  the  school 
library.  The  teacher  cannot  help  him.  He  studies  the 
fish  with  his  eyes,  examines  fins,  and  scales,  and  skeleton. 
Then  he  prepares  a  description  as  accurately  as  he  can, 
perhaps  aided  in  this  by  the  teacher,  and  sends  it,  with  a 
rude  sketch,  it  may  be,  to  one  of  the  gentlemen  who 
kindly  assist  our  students.  In  a  few  days  he  receives  a 
letter,  giving  him  the  name  of  his  fish,  and,  what  is  bet- 
ter, the  name  of  a  book  from  which  he  can  learn  much 
more  about  fishes  than  from  any  volume  that  ever  before 


SPECIAL  CLASSES.  21 

found  its  way  into  his  village.  How  he  is  encouraged 
by  this  graceful  sympathy!  He  hoards  his  earnings  till 
the  book  is  bought.  He  studies  it  by  candlelight  after 
the  chores  are  done.  He  masters  it  and  presents  it  to  his 
little  society,  where  it  becomes  the  nucleus  of  a  scientific 
library,  which  ten  years  from  now  may  require  a  build- 
ing to  protect  it.  By  the  time  this  boy  has  finished 
school  he  knows  more  about  the  fish  in  the  local  waters 
than  his  parents  or  instructors,  and  he  has  become  fired 
with  ambition  to  go  to  some  place  where  he  can  meet 
men  who  know  enough  to  teach  him  more.  He  enters  a 
college  or  higher  scientific  school,  and  becomes,  before 
many  years  are  gone,  himself  a  specialist,  ready,  nay 
eager,  to  help  other  poor  boys  in  other  isolated  places. 
This  is  no  fancy  sketch,  but  has  been  realized  over  and 
over  again  since  the  Agassiz  Association  was  founded  in 

1875. 

SPECIAL  CLASSES. 

Among  the  pleasant  features  of  the  A.  A.  have  been 
our  special  courses  of  study.  These  have  been  conducted 
by  men  high  in  their  departments,  and  at  a  nominal  cost. 
Dr.  Marcus  E.  Jones,  of  Salt  Lake  City,  has  taken 
a  class  through  elementary  botany;  Prof.  G.  Howard 
Parker  has  directed  a  six-months'  course  in  entomology; 
Prof.  E.  L.  French,  of  Wells  College,  has  managed  a  very 
successful  course  of  botanical  collecting  and  exchange; 
Prof.  W.  O.  Crosby,  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural 
History,  has  conducted  two  classes,  each  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  pupils,  through  higvhly  interesting  courses  in 
the  elements  of  determinative  mineralogy;  Prof.  Gustav 
Guttenberg,  of  Pittsburgh,  has  taken  nearly  a  thousand 
young  correspondents  through  a  succession  of  four 
courses  in  mineralogy,  and  the  results  have  far  exceeded 
our  highest  expectations;  and  Mr.  Alex.  Wight,  of  Fram- 


22  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

ingham,  has  for  several  years  been  developing  a  most  in- 
teresting series  of  mail  studies  in  botany.  All  these  gen- 
tlemen have  most  generously  volunteered  thir  services, 
and  we  cannot  but  hope  that  others  will  be  found  to 
imitate  their  example  of  true  philanthropy.  One  of  the 
most  urgent  needs  of  the  Association  is  the  volunteer 
assistance  of  competent  men  to  conduct  in  geology,  biol- 
ogy, entomology,  and  chemistry  courses  of  study  on  a 
plan  similar  to  that  so  successfully  inaugurated  by  the 
gentlemen  just  now  named. 

THE   PLAN   OF   THE    ASSOCIATION. 

From  this  brief  sketch  of  the  origin  and  work  of  the 
A.  A.,  the  purpose  of  its  founder  ma}'  be  fairly  inferred. 
The  Association  was  designed  to  be  an  extended  free 
school  of  natural  science  open  to  persons  of  all  ages  and 
conditions.  Local  classes,  or  chapters,  were  to  be  form- 
ed, quite  independent  of  each  other,  and  of  the  Presi- 
dent, except  in  so  far  as  by  adopting  a  common  name, 
and  by  a  facility  of  inter-correspondence  and  exchange, 
they  might  render  to  each  other  mutual  encouragement 
and  aid;  and  by  correspondence  with  the  President,  re- 
ceive such  guidance  as  he  should  be  able  to  give  them. 

THE   AGASSIZ    ASSOCIATION   INCORPORATED. 

In  April,  1892,  the  Agassiz  Association,  first  estab- 
lished in  1875,  became  an  incorporated  society.  The 
record  of  its  incorporation  follows: 

ARTICLES  OF  AGREEMENT. 

We  whose  names  are  hereto  subscribed  do  by  this  agree- 
ment associate  ourselves  with  the  intention  to  constitute  a 
corporation  according  to  the  provisions  of  the  one  hundred 
and  fifteenth  chapter  of  the  Public  Statutes  of  the  Common- 
wealth of  Massachusetts  and  the  acts  in  amendment  thereof 
anj  in  addition  thereto. 


THE  AGA88IZ  ASSOCIATION.  23 

The  NAME  by  which  the  corporation  shall  be  known  is 

AGASSIZ  ASSOCIATION. 

The  PURPOSE  for  which  the  corporation  is  constituted  is 
the  promotion  of  scientific  education;  the  advancement  of 
science;  the  collection  in  museums  of  natural  and  scientific 
specimens;  the  employment  of  observers  and  teachers  in  the 
different  departments  of  science,  and  the  general  diffusion  of 
knowledge. 

The  PLACE  within  which  the  corporation  is  established 
or  located  is  the  City  of  Pittsfield,  and  County  of  Berkshire, 
within  said  Commonwealth. 

The  amount  of  its  capital  stock  is  none. 
The  par  value  of  its  shares  is  none. 
The  number  of  its  shares  is  none. 

In  witness  whereof,  we  have  hereunto  set  our  hands,  this 
fifteenth  day  of  March,  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and 
ninety-two^ 

HARLAN   H.    BALLARD, 
W.    R.    PLUNKETT, 
EDWARD  T.   SLOCUM, 
GEO.  H.  TUCKER, 
J.    F.    A.    ADAMS, 
HENRY  W.  BISHOP, 
ZEN  AS  CRANE, 
JAMES   M.    BARKER, 
H.   E.    DEATS, 
ALPHEUS  HYATT. 

BY-LAWS. 

1.  The  seal  of  this  corporation  shall  be  a  Swiss  cross, 
bearing-  the  letters  "A.  A."  and  the  date  "1875,"  and  sur- 
rounded by  the  leg-end,  "Ag-assiz  Association,  Incorpo- 
rated 1892." 

2.  The  annual  meeting-,  after  the  present  year,  shall 
be  held  on  the  first  Wednesday  in  April,  in  Pittsfield, 
Berkshire  Count v,  Massachusetts. 


24  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

3.  Notice  shall  be  given  of  the  annual  meeting1  or  of 
any  special  meeting  by  a  notice  signed  by  the  Clerk, 
mailed,  post-paid,  to  each  corporator  at  his  place  of  resi- 
dence, at  least  seven  days  before  the  time  of  meeting. 
Special  meetings  shall  be  called  at  the  request  of  the 
President,  any  three  Trustees,  or  any  five  corporators. 

4.  The  corporators  shall  elect  a  Board  of  seven  Trus- 
tees, who  shall  hold  their  offices  permanently.     The  cor- 
porators shall  fill  any  vacancies  that  may  arise  in  the 
Board  of  Trustees.     Three  of  the  Trustees  shall  consti- 
tute a  quorum  for  the  transaction  of  business. 

5.  The  corporators  shall  elect  a  Treasurer,  who  shall 
have  charge  of  all  moneys  belonging  to  the  Association, 
under  direction  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.     Said  Treas- 
urer shall  file  such  bond  as  the  Trustees  may  require. 

6.  The   corporators  shall   elect  a  Clerk,   who   shall 
perform  the  customary  duties  of  such  office. 

7.  The  Trustees  shall  elect  a  President,  who  shall 
have  general   charge  of  the  educational   and   scientific 
work  of  the  Association,  under  the  direction  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees. 

8.  The  officers  of  the  Association  shall  receive  such 
compensation  as  the  Board  of  Trustees  may  determine. 

9.  All  "Chapters,"  or  local  branch  societies,  now  be- 
longing to  the  Agassiz  Association,  may  become  Chapters 
of  this  incorporated  Association  upon  such  conditions 
and  terms  as  the  Trustees  shall  prescribe.     The  Trustees 
may  also  make  provisions  for  admitting  members  and 
chapters  of  the  Association  upon  such  conditions  and 
terms  as  the  Trustees  shall  prescribe;  but  such  members 
and  chapters  shall  have  no  vote,  nor  become  thereby  cor- 
porators. 

10.  The   corporators   may  elect    from   time   to   time 
associate   corporators;    but  the   number  of  corporators 


OFFICERS  ELECTED.  25 

shall  be  limited  to  twenty.  Honorary  members  of  the 
Association  may  be  elected  by  the  corporators  at  any 
meeting-  duly  called;  but  said  members  shall  not  have  a 
vote  at  meetings  of  the  corporators. 

11.  Three  corporators  shall  constitute  a  quorum  for 
the  transaction  of  business. 

12.  The  investment  of  any  funds  belonging  to  the 
corporation  shall  be  under  the  direction  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  or  a  committee  appointed  by  them   for  that 
purpose. 

13.  These  by-laws  may  be  amended  by  a  three-fourths 
vote  of  the  corporators  present  at  any  annual  meeting", 
provided  due  notice  of  such  proposed  change  shall  have 
been  given  in  the  call  for  the  meeting. 

OFFICERS  ELECTED. 

The  subscribers  then  elected  by  ballot  E.  T.  Slocum 
as  Clerk. 

The  following  Trustees  were  then  elected  by  ballot: 
W.  R.  Plunkett,  James  M.  Barker,  George  H.  Tucker, 
Harlan  H.  Ballard,  Alpheus  Hyatt,  H.  E.  Beats,  E.  T. 
Slocum. 

George  H.  Tucker  was  elected  Treasurer  by  unani- 
mous ballot,  and  the  meeting  was  adjourned. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Trustees,  Harlan  H.  Bal- 
lard was  unanimously  elected  President  of  the  Agassiz 
Association. 

It  was  voted,  That  any  Chapter  already  connected 
with  the  A.  A.  may  become  a  Chapter  of  this  incorpo- 
rated Association  upon  assenting  to  the  by-laws. 

That  four  or  more  persons  may  form  a  Chapter  of  the 
Agassiz  Association  upon  securing  the  consent  of  the 
President,  and  paying  the  sum  of  one  dollar  into  the 
treasury  of  the  Association. 


26  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

That  individuals  may  be  admitted  into  the  Associa- 
tion by  the  President  upon  payment  of  fifty  cents  as  an 
entrance  fee. 

ADVANTAGES. 

The  advantages  which  may  result  from  the  formation 
of  a  branch  in  the  family  or  school  far  outweigh  the  labor 
and  time  required.  Habits  of  observation  are  formed; 
valuable  knowledge  is  acquired;  spontaneous  study  is 
secured;  health-giving  rambles  are  taken;  the  elements 
of  parliamentary  law  are  learned  and  practiced;  subjects 
for  compositions  are  abundantly  supplied;  power  of 
debate  is  attained;  practice  in  letter-writing  is  necessi- 
tated: valuable  collections  are  made;  useful  libraries 
are  founded;  pleasant  acquaintances  are  formed;  win- 
dows are  opened  into  distant  States,  through  which  we 
catch  glimpses  of  scenery  new  to  us;  we  see  various 
strange  forms  of  animal  and  plant  life;  wre  read  fossil 
records  of  the  past;  we  become  acquainted  with  the 
modes  of  thought  and  expression  which  prevail  outside 
our  own  homes.  Correspondence  with  chapters  in  dif- 
ferent States  is  like  the  magical  glass  of  the  Arabian 
prince. 

Sitting  by  our  study-table,  we  can  see  in  every  direc- 
tion sturdy  boys  and  graceful  girls,  searching  eagerly 
for  nature's  hidden  treasures.  We  see  them  scouring  the 
prairies  of  Kansas;  climbing  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierras; 
discovering  beautiful  caves  in  the  Rocky  Mountains; 
analyzing*  magnolia  blossoms  in  Mississippi;  killing 
rattlesnakes  on  their  own  doorsteps  in  Colorado;  study- 
ing g'eology  in  England;  gathering  edelweiss  from  the 
slopes  of  the  Alps;  wandering,  by  permit,  through  New 
York's  Central  Park;  spying  out  specimens  from  the 
mica  mines  of  Vermont;  picking  up  tarantulas  and  scor- 


AD  VANTAGE 8.  27 

pious  in  Texas;  searching-  for  the  flowers  and  insects  of 
the  Argentine  Republic;  gathering  algae  and  sea-shells 
on  the  coast  of  Florida;  growing  wise  in  the  paleontol- 
ogy of  Iowa;  arranging  the  variously  colored  sands  of 
the  Mississippi  river  in  curious  bottles;  in  Massachu- 
setts anxious  to  know  whether  "the  Limnanthemum  of 
our  water  has  roots;"  sending  from  Chicago  to  learn 
about  the  center  of  buoyancy;  holding  field  meetings 
in  Illinois;  celebrating1  the  birthday  of  Professor  Ag'assiz 
(May  28)  in  many  States  with  a  picnic  and  appropriate 
exercises;  giving  entertainments  and  realizing  enough 
"to  buy  a  cabinet  and  have  thirty  dollars  over  to  start  a 
library"  in  Oregon;  making  successful  collections  in  Vir- 
ginia; enjoying  the  assistance  and  listening  to  the  lec- 
tures of  eminent  scientists  in  Philadelphia;  enrolling 
scholars  and  teachers  in  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island; 
determining'  to  become  professors  in  the  District  of 
Columbia;  writing  fraternal  messages  from  Canada; 
selecting  quartz  crystals  from  the  hot  springs  of  Arkan- 
sas; discovering  Geastrums  on  Long  Island;  and  every- 
where learning  to  detect  the  beautiful  in  the  common, 
and  the  wonderful  in  the  before  despised. 


CHAPTER    II. 

HOW    TO    ORGANIZE    A    CHAPTER    AND    CONDUCT    A 
MEETING— PARLIAMENTARY   LAW— BY-LAWS. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  answer  the  most  important 
and  constant  questions  that  come  to  us  from  day  to  day. 
Naturally  the  first  inquiry  is,  "How  can  I  form  a  chapter 
of  the  A.  A.?" 

As  four  is  the  smallest  number  of  persons  recognized 
as  a  chapter,  the  first  thing*  to  do  is  to  find  at  least  three 
persons  besides  yourself  who  are  interested  in  the  plan. 
Call  a  meeting  and  appoint  a  temporary  chairman.  Ex- 
plain to  your  friends  the  purpose  for  which  you  have 
called  them  together,  and  make  a  motion  to  the  effect 
that  a  chapter  of  the  A.  A.  be  organized.  If  this  motion 
prevails,  it  will  be  wrell  to  have  a  committee  appointed 
to  draft  your  by-laws,  or  the  rules  by  which  your  chapter 
is  to  be  guided.  After  choosing  this  committee  you 
may  adjourn. 

At  the  next  meeting,  hear  and  act  upon  the  report  of 
your  committee,  and  elect  your  permanent  officers.  It 
will  prove  of  great  service  to  you  to  conduct  your  meet- 
ings, as  far  as  may  be,  in  accordance  with  parliamentary 
law.  Your  by-laws  should  contain  an  article  stating 
what  authority  shall  control  you  in  this  regard.  You 
will  find  'Roberts'  Rules  of  Order'  an  excellent  and  intelli- 
gent guide.  If  you  have  no  book  of  rules,  the  following 
will  be  found  to  cover  the  principal  points  which  may 
perplex  you: 

RULES   OF   ORDER. 

1.  A  quorum  of  members  is  always  required  for  the 
transaction  of  business,  and  in  the  absence  of  a  special 
law  a  majority  of  the  members  constitutes  a  quorum. 


BY-LAWS.  29 

2.  There  is  properly  no  business  before  the  house 
until  a  member  has  been  recognized  by  the  chairman  as 
having1  offered  a  motion. 

3.  It  requires  a  two-thirds  vote  to  suppress  a  ques- 
tion without  permitting  debate. 

4.  A  motion  to  reconsider  a  question  once  decided 
can  only  be  made  by  one  who  has  voted  affirmatively. 

5.  A  rule  adopted  must  be  enforced  by  the  chair  with- 
out question. 

6.  Motions  to  lay  on  the  table,  and  for  the  previous 
question,  are  customary  methods  for  disposing  of  ques- 
tions and  abridging  debate. 

7.  Debate  must  be  confined  to  the  question,  and  per- 
sonalities are  out  of  order. 

8.  Motions  which  are  imdebatable  are:  The  previous 
question;  to  lay  on  or  take  from  the  table;  to  adjourn, 
and  to  fix  the  time  to  which  to  adjourn.     None  of  these 
can  be  amended  except  that  to  fix  the  time  to  which  to 
adjourn. 

Precedence  is  given  to  motions  in  the  following  order; 
and  any  motion,  except  to- amend,  can  be  made  while  one 
of  a  lower  order  is  pending,  but  none  can  supersede  one 
of  a  higher  order: 

1.  To  fix  the  time  to  which  to  adjourn. 

2.  To  adjourn. 

3.  A  call  for  the  order  of  the  day. 

4.  To  lay  on  the  table. 

5.  The  previous  question. 

6.  To  postpone  to  a  certain  time. 

7.  To  commit,  amend,  or  postpone  indefinitely. 

BY-LAWS. 

Very  much  of  the  comfort  and  harmony  of  your  meet- 
ings will  depend  upon  the  wisdom  of  your  by-laws.  They 
should  be  simple,  short  and  comprehensive,  and  should 


30  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

cover  such  points  as  what  officers  you  will  have,  how 
long  they  shall  hold  office,  what  initiation  fee  you  will 
require,  how  many  members  you  will  admit,  what  fines, 
if  any,  you  will  impose  for  absence,  what  duties  shall 
devolve  upon  your  officers  and  members,  and  what  order 
of  exercises  you  will  follow  in  your  meetings.  The  fol- 
lowing schedule  may  prove  serviceable  as  a  suggestion: 

1.  The  name  of  this  society  shall  be  — . 

2.  The  officers  shall  be  — . 

3.  The  entrance  fee  shall  be  — . 

4.  The  regular  dues  shall  be  — . 

5.  The  order  of  exercises  at  all  regular  meetings  shall 
be:  a.  Roll-call;     &.  Minutes  of  last  meeting;     c.  Treas- 
urer's report;      d.  Report  of   corresponding   secretary; 
e.  Reports  of  members,  on  specimens,  etc.;    f.  Miscellan- 
eous business;    g.  Adjournment. 

6.  New  members  may  be  elected  at  any  regular  meet- 
ing of  the  society,  by  ballot,  and  —  adverse  votes  shall 
exclude. 

7.  The  meetings  of  this  society  shall  be  conducted  in 
accordance  with  the  rules  of  order  contained  in  — . 

Each  chapter  is  expected  to  have  a  by-law  to  the  effect 
that  its  secretary  shall  send  to  the  President  of  the  A.A. 
a  carefully  prepared  annual  report  on  the  date  assigned 
by  its  charter,  and  that,  should  the  chapter  at  any  time 
disband,  immediate  notice  shall  be  sent  to  the  President. 
Full  directions  for  these  annual  reports  are  given  on 
another  page. 

Some  chapters  have  a  by-law  requiring  each  member 
to  support  our  official  organ,  but  all  these  matters  are 
left  to  local  option.  It  is  well,  in  a  final  section,  to  define 
the  manner  in  which  your  by-laws  may  be  amended. 

The  second  article,  concerning  officers,  should  con- 
tain a  clause  limiting  the  time  during  which  the  various 


ANNUAL  REPORTS.  31 

offices  may  be  held;  but  as  the  address  of  your  president 
or  secretary  is  to  be  published,  for  the  benefit  of  other 
chapters,  those  offices  should  be  made  permanent  if  pos- 
sible. In  any  case,  you  should  decide  on  some  address 
for  the  chapter,  which  may  remain  unaltered,  whatever 
official  changes  may  occur.  This  matter  of  an  exact  and 
permanent  address  is  of  the  highest  importance. 

In  societies  where  members  are  of  nearly  the  same 
age,  the  decision  of  the  majority  should  be  regarded  as 
absolute,  and  be  cheerfully  agreed  to  by  the  minority. 
In  family  chapters,  and  those  under  the  direction  of  a 
teacher,  it  is  well  to  have  a  by-law  giving  the  president 
the  power  of  veto,  and  making  a  three-fourths  vote 
necessary  to  pass  a  motion  over  his  veto.  Such  branches 
may,  if  they  choose,  constitute  simple  classes,  and  remain 
entirely  subject  to  the  control  of  parent  or  teacher.  Our 
Constitution  leaves  each  branch  entirely  free  in  these 
matters. 

The  first  duty  of  your  secretary  after  having  recorded 
the  minutes  of  your  meeting  for  organization,  will  be  to 
send  to  the  President  of  the  Association  an  account  of  the 
formation  of  the  chapter,  giving  the  date  of  organiza- 
tion, the  names  and  addresses  of  your  officers,  and  the 
names  and  ages  of  all  your  members.  Once  a  year  there- 
after, a  report  of  progress  will  be  expected,  and  we  shall 
also  be  glad  to  hear  from  every  chapter  informally  at 
any  time.  The  nature  of  this  annual  report  can  best  be 
learned  by  a  study  of  those  presented  hereafter  in  this 
book,  but  a  few  words  of  explanation  here  may  be  ac- 
ceptable. 

ANNUAL   REPORTS. 

In  order  to  give  each  chapter  fair  opportunity  to  ac- 
quaint the  Association  with  its  progress,  methods,  and 
plans,  the  Association  has  been  divided  into  centuries 


32  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

consisting-  of  one  hundred  chapters  each.  The  chapters 
of  the  first  century,  numbers  1  to  100  inclusive,  are  to 
report  on  the  1st  of  January  annually;  those  of  the 
second  century,  on  the  1st  of  February,  etc.  The  time 
when  the  report  of  any  chapter  falls  due  may  be  seen 
from  the  following'  table,  only  premising  that  the  reports 
should  be  in  the  President's  hands  by  or  before  the  dates 
given : 

1st  Century,  Chapters     1—100.       Annual  Report  due  Jan.  1 

2d  "  "  101—200.  "  "  "  Feb.  1 

3d  "  "  201—300.  "  "  "  March  1 

4th  "  "  301^00.  "  "  "  April  1 

5th  "  "  401—500.  "  "  "  May  1 

6th  "  "  501—600.  "  "  June  1 

7th  "  "  601—700.  "  "  "  July  1 

8th  "  "  701—800.  "  "  "  Oct.  1 

9th  "  "  801—900.  "  "  "  Nov.  1 

10th  "  "  901—1000.  "  "  "  Dec.  1 

It  will  be  observed  that  we  call  for  the  reports  of  the 
eighth  century,  Chapters  701-800.  on  or  before  October  1, 
instead  of  August  1.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  we  wish 
to  allow  two  months  for  the  summer  vacation,  which  is 
now  almost  universally  enjoyed  by  our  schools  and  col- 
leges. We  have  been  asked  with  regard  to  reports  from 
chapters,  whether  they  are  limited  to  annual  reports. 
Not  at  all.  We  are  glad  to  hear  from  every  chapter  and 
from  every  member  just  as  often  as  they  feel  moved  to 
write.  The  number  of  chapters  is  so  great  that  we  can- 
not undertake  to  publish  a  report  from  each  oftener  than 
once  a  year,  but  additional  reports,  notes,  or  letters  may 
be  sent  at  any  time,  and  will  always  receive  prompt  at- 
tention. Every  communication  received  is  promptly 
ansv/ered;  so  if  you  fail  to  receive  a  reply  within  a  rea- 
sonable time,  say  ten  days  from  time  of  mailing  your 
letter  if  you  live  east  of  the  Mississippi,  you  may  safely 


ANNUAL  REPORTS.  33 

conclude  that  the  letter  has  been  lost  in  the  mails,  and 
write  again. 

These  annual  reports  should  never  be  hastily  pre- 
pared, nor  deferred  until  the  latest  possible  moment. 
Each  chapter  has,  once  a  year,  a  fair  chance  to  set  forth 
its  work  and  its  results.  A  careless  secretary  may  injure 
the  standing  of  an  excellent  chapter.  Most  of  the  reports 
sent  us  are  admirable,  and  show  conscientious  prepara- 
tion. 

In  response  to  numerous  inquiries  as  to  the  nature  of 
the  reports  desired,  we  will  say: 

First,  we  wish  some  kind  of  report  from  every  chapter. 
Even  if  you  send  only  six  words  on  a  postal  card,  it  will 
suffice  to  advise  the  Association  of  your  existence  and 
address.  If  you  can  say  only,  "Chapter  993  still  lives!" 
that  is  infinitely  better  than  no  report.  Even  if  you 
should  be  obliged  to  report,  "Chapter  Blank  is  dead,"  the 
communication  of  the  intelligence,  unfortunate  as  it 
would  be,  would  save  the  rest  of  us  much  uncertainty, 
confusion,  labor,  and  expense. 

Second,  the  annual  report  should  contain  a  complete 
list  of  all  changes  in  membership  that  may  have  occurred 
since  your  latest  report. 

Third,  the  annual  report  should  give  a  brief  summary 
of  the  year's  work,  number  of  meetings  held,  excursions 
made,  entertainments  given,  special  plans  executed. 

Fourth,  the  annual  report  should  contain  a  brief  ac- 
count of  the  most  interesting  facts  learned  during  the 
year  by  the  personal  observation  of  the  chapter  or  any 
of  its  members.  This  is  the  point  most  frequently  over- 
looked, yet  it  is  second  to  none  in  importance.  No  society 
can  work  faithfully  for  a  year  without  learning  some- 
thing which  has  interested  its  members,  and  which  must, 
therefore,  prove  of  interest  to  the  Association  at  large-  We 

*2 


34  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

recommend  each  chapter  to  bear  constantly  in  mind,  dur- 
ing- the  year,  its  next  annual  report.  Let  there  be  a  large 
envelope  labeled,  "Items  for  next  Annual  Report,"  and 
into  this  let  the  secretary  or  any  member,  from  time  to 
time,  drop  slips  of  paper  containing  such  facts  as  may  be 
incorporated  into  the  report.  You  will  be  astonished, 
at  the  end  of  the  year,  to  discover  what  a  wealth  of  ma- 
terial will  have  been  accumulated.  Let  this,  then,  be 
carefully  sifted  and  nicely  arranged,  and  you  will  have 
an  interesting'  and  worthy  report. 

Fifth,  when  possible,  let  pictures  accompany  your 
reports.  A  sketch  of  some  rare  plant  found  last  autumn, 
a  photograph  of  your  cabinet,  or  room;  in  a  word,  a  good 
picture  of  anything  that  has  proved  specially  interesting 
and  instructive  to  you.  The  use  of  the  camera  as  an  aid 
to  science  can  hardly  be  overestimated,  and  it  brings 
accurate  picture-making  within  the  capacity  of  nearly 
all. 

INDIVIDUAL  MEMBERS. 

It  frequently  happens  that  an  individual  wishes  to 
join  the  A.  A.,  but  is  not  able  to  interest  enough  com- 
panions to  form  a  chapter.  To  provide  for  such  persons, 
we  allow  them  to  become  corresponding  members  of  the 
Association  on  payment  of  a  registration  fee  of  50c-., 
and  the  purchase  of  this  book.  There  are  no  other  du  s. 

Those  who  join  us  as  corresponding  members,  are 
expected  to  work  in  their  chosen  departments,  and  to 
send  to  the  President,  once  in  two  months,  a  concise  re- 
port of  their  progress,  modeled  somewhat  after  the 
letters  given  later  in  the  Handbook.  They  enjoy  all  the 
privileges  of  charter  members,  except  voting,  and  are  at 
liberty  to  correspond  and  exchange  with  members  of  the 
regular  chapters. 

Four  or  more  persons  in  different  towns  may  unite 
by  correspondence  to  form  a  chapter,  and  shall  then  be 
entitled  to  all  the  privileges  of  ordinary  chapters. 


CHAPTER    III. 

A  PLAN  OF  WORK. 

The  leaders  of  those  chapters  that  desire  to  study 
the  scientific  classification  of  the  objects  of  nature  will 
do  well  to  follow  some  such  method  as  this:  Consider, 
first,  the  three  great  kingdoms — Animal,  Vegetable  and 
Mineral.  Let  one  meeting  be  devoted  to  the  study  of 
each  as  a  kingdom.  Let  all  the  objects  in  your  collection 
be  classified  so  far  as  to  determine  regarding  each, 
whether  it  belongs  to  the  first,  second,  or  third  of  these 
kingdoms.  Determine  the  same  regarding  a  multitude 
of  substances — as  air,  water,  miJk,  sugar,  amber,  alcohol, 
ink,  paper,  steel,  paint,  silk,  flannel,  steam,  smoke,  coal, 
kerosene,  vinegar,  etc. 

Next  take  up  the  branches  into  which  the  several 
kingdoms  are  subdivided.  These  are  for  animals: 

I.     Protozoa.  V.  Arthropods. 

II.     Coelenterata.  VI.  Molluscoidea. 

III.  Echinodermata.  VII.  Mollusca. 

IV.  Vermes.  VIII.  Timicata. 

IX.  Vertebrata. 

Let  these  be  carefully  studied  one  by  one,  and  thor- 
oughly discussed,  and  illustrated  by  specimens,  until  any 
animal  can  readily  be  referred  to  its  proper  branch.  If 
the  books  which  contain  this  later  classification  are 
not  at  your  command,  you  will  do  very  well  with  the 
older  divisions  after  Cuvier,  viz: 

I.     Vertebrates.  III.     Mollusks. 

II.     Articulates.  IV.     Radiates. 

V.     Protozoans. 


36  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

These  you  will  find  in  ordinary  text-books.  For  chap- 
ter libraries,  and  for  all  who  can  afford  it,  I  know  of  no 
better  general  work  than  the  Standard  Natural  History, 
in  six  octavo  volumes. 

The  divisions  of  the  Vegetable  kingdom  are  varioiisly 
given  by  different  authors.  For  the  great  majority  of 
students  the  text-books  by  Wood  and  Gray  will  prove 
sufficient.  Gray's  Manual  and  Wood's  Manual  will  be 
useful  to  more  advanced  students,  while  professional 
botanists  must,  of  course,  have  recourse  to  various  works 
in  French,  German,  and  Latin.  Special  works  will  be 
referred  to  in  the  chapter  on  'Books  llecommended.'  Tho 
divisions  and  subdivisions  of  the  Vegetable  kingdom  will 
become  intelligible  to  the  student  as  he  progresses,  and 
need  no  mention  here. 

The  Mineral  kingdom  is  divided  into  Metallic  and  Non- 
metallic  substances,  and  these  again  comprise  minerals 
which  exhibit  different  degrees  of  hardness,  fusibility, 
specific  gravity,  etc.,  regard  being  had  also  to  their  chem- 
ical composition,  and  their  peculiar  forms  of  crystalliza- 
tion. Dana's  Mineralogy  is  a  good  guide,  and  Brush's 
'Determinative  Mineralogy  and  Blowpipe  Analysis'  is 
an  excellent  manual  for  more  advanced  students,  while 
beginners  can  not  do  better  than  get  Mrs.  Ellen  H.  Rich- 
ards' 'First  Lessons  on  Minerals;'  Professor  Crosby's 
'Tables  for  the  Determination  of  Common  Minerals,'  and 
the  'World  of  Matter,'  by  the  President  of  the  A.  A. 

One  object  of  this  division  and  subdivision  in  the 
several  kingdoms  is  so  to  classify  all  natural  objects  that 
we  may  determine  the  precise  name  of  any  specimen  we 
may  find. The  more  minute  the  subdivision,  the  more  diffi- 
cult often  becomes  the  analysis.  Thus,  it  is  usually  an 
easy  matter  to  distinguish  between  an  animal  and  a 
vegetable.  It  is  not  difficult  to  determine  whether  we 


A  PLAN  OF  WORK.  37 

are  examining-  an  insect  or  a  worm.  If  we  find  an  insect, 
we  may  presently  refer  it  to  the  Lepidoptera,  and  then  to 
the  butterflies;  but  when  it  comes  to  distinguishing  be- 
tween the  various  Vanessas  with  their  curious  punctua- 
tion-marks, the  matter  grows  more  serious,  and  we  are 
compelled  to  obtain  a  book  more  restricted  in  scope  than 
a  zoology,  and,  indeed,  than  most  entomologies. 

As  a  result  of  this,  it  becomes  necessary  for  him  who 
would  accurately  study  any  department  of  nature  to 
limit  himself  early  to  a  small  field.  One  will  choose,  for 
instance,  dragon-flies,  and  by  devoting  years  to  them 
will  become  a  specialist  and  an  authority  in  that  depart- 
ment. It  is  the  tendency  of  the  times  to  produce  special- 
ists. 

Many  persons,  however,  are  not  willing  to  restrict 
themselves  to  so  narrow  a  field  of  study.  They  prefer  to 
range  freely  over  mountain  and  along  stream;  and  hav- 
ing acquired  the  power  to  analyze  a  flower  or  determine 
a  mineral,  they  leave  the  one  to  nod  and  smile  on  its 
dewy  stem  in  undissected  beauty,  and  the  other  to 
sparkle  in  the  sunlight,  instead  of  crackling  in  the  reduc- 
ing flame  of  a  compound  blowpipe.  Yet  we  must  have 
strict  scientists,  and  Ave  honor  the  men  who  for  the  sake 
of  expanding  the  world's  knowledge  are  willing  to  con- 
fine their  own  researches  to  a  narrow  field. 

For  those,  then,  who  are  old  enough  to  pursue  a  sys- 
tematic course,  we  have  briefly  outlined  a  plan  which 
may  be  followed  in  any  department  of  natural  science. 
It  consists  in  first  obtaining  a  general  view  of  the  whole 
field,  and  then  in  learning  its  successive  subdivisions, 
until  analysis  is  complete. 

The  rest  of  you,  and  especially  you,  my  little  folk  of 
ten  years  old  and  under,  may,  for  the  present,  leave  the 
big  books  unopened,  and  the  Latin  names  unlearned. 


38  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

Watch  the  minnows  dart  about  in  the  crystal  water; 
count  the  daisy  flowers,  and  may  they  prove  oracles  of 
joy;  blow  off  the  dandelion's  plumes  to  see  if  mother 
wants  you;  test  your  love  for  butter  by  the  glimmer  of 
the  buttercup  beneath  your  chins;  find  pretty  pebbles 
by  the  brook,  and  keep  them  bright  in  glasses  of  water; 
gather  brilliant  autumn  leaves,  and  press  them  for  the 
days  when  their  colors  will  be  in  the  sky;  study  the 
beautiful  crystals  of  the  snow,  lightly  falling  on  your 
sleeve  as  you  plod  to  school;  learn  to  love  the  music  of 
the  rain,  and  the  singing  of  the  wind,  and  the  moaning 
of  the  sea.  You  may  not  discover  many  wonderful  things 
— or  things  that  you  will  recognize  as  wonderful.  But 
if  the  boys  and  girls  in  all  the  different  places  where 
the  Agassiz  Association  is  known  were  to  tell  each  other 
about  the  common  things  in  each  one's  own  vicinity, 
there  will  be  wonder  enough,  I  am  sure. 

Yet  you  may  find  something  altogether  new.  Did  not 
little  Maggie  Edward  find  a  new  fish  for  her  father? 
What?  Never  heard  of  Thomas  Edward — the  dear  old 
shoemaker  who  used  to  make  'uppers'  all  day,  and  then 
lie  all  night  in  a  hole  in  a  sand-bank,  with  his  head  and 
g'un  out,  watching  for  'beasts?'  In  that  case,  you  would 
do  well  to  read  the  book  called  'The  Scotch  Naturalist, 
by  Samuel  Smiles. 

Nature  must  be  studied  out-of-doors.  Natural  ob- 
jects must  be  studied  from  the  specimens  themselves. 
The  rocks  must  be  broken  open,  the  flowers  must  be 
studied  as  they  grow,  and  animals  must  be  watched  as 
they  live  freely  in  their  own  strange  homes.  Quaint  old 
Bernardin  de  St.  Pierre,  author  of  'Paul  and  Virginia,' 
says: 

''Botanists  mislead  us.  They  must  have  magnifying- 
glasses  and  scales  in  order  to  class  the  trees  of  a  forest.' 


A  PLAN  OF  WORK.  39 

To  show  me  the  character  of  a  flower,  it  is  presented  to 
me  dry,  discolored,  and  spread  out  on  the  leaf  of  an  herb- 
ary.  Who  can  discover  the  queen  erf  the  flowers  in  a 
dried  rose?  In  order  to  its  being"  an  object  at  once  of 
love  and  philosophy,  it  must  be  viewed  when,  issuing 
from  the  cleft  of  a  humid  rock,  it  shines  on  its  native 
verdure,  when  the  zephyr  sways  it  on  a  stem  armed  with 
thorns." 

Nothing  can  take  the  place  of  personal  contact  with  nature. 
No  great  naturalist  has  learned  his  lessons  from  books 

only. 

Agassi z  had  learned  more  about  fishes  before  he  ever 
saw  a  fish-book,  than  he  found  in  the  book  after  he  got  it. 

Audubon  lived  in  the  woods  and  learned  the  voices  of 
all  the  birds,  and  could  tell  them  also  by  their  flight. 

Gilbert  White  wrote  charming  letters  about  the  swal- 
lows under  his  eaves,  the  cricket  on  his  hearth  and  the 
old  tortoise  that  lived  in  his  kitchen-garden. 

W.  W.  Bailey  braves  the  frosts  of  winter,  and  rambles 
by  the  icy  brooks,  or  through  the  snow-carpeted  aisles 
of  the  naked  forest,  to  see  what  nature  does  when  sum- 
mer is  ended.  He  writes: 

"The  pretty  little  stream  is  bordered  by  a  fringe  of 
white  ice,  under  which  we  can  see  great  bubbles  press, 
squeezing  themselves  into  very  curious  forms.  The 
stream  murmurs  some  pleasant  story  of  the  summer 
violets.  On  its  still  pools  float  leaf-gondolas  of  curious 
patterns.  Great  fern-feathers,  unwithered  by  the  frost, 
droop  over  the  brook,  and  velvety  mosses  cushion  the 
shores." 

These  men  understand  Nature,  They  enter  into  the 
spirit  of  her  mighty,  throbbing  life,  and  interpret  the 
secrets  of  her  wondrous  love. 

And  if  you  have  ever  known  what  it  is  to  feel  a  great 


40  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

love  for  the  very  earth,  so  that  on  some  sunny  day  you 
have  wandered  off  alone,  and  under  the  fragrant  shade  of 
an  ancient  pine,  have  thrown  yourself  upon  her  broad 
bosom,  like  a  tired  child;  or  if,  when  the  wind  was  bend- 
ing1 the  long  grass,  you  have  lain  among  the  daises,  like 
Robert  Falconer,  watching  your  kite  floating  far  up  in 
the  blue  sky,  and  wondering  what  there  is  beyond  the 
kite,  and  beyond  the  sky;  or  if,  on  some  dark  day  in 
December,  when  gray  clouds  were  skurrying  across  the 
sky,  you  have  climbed  a  hill  alone,  and  from  a  swaying 
perch  in  a  leafless  beech  watched  the  drifting  snow  as  it 
wrapped  the  world  in  ermine — then  you  may  believe  that 
a  portion  of  the  spirit  that  animated  Agassiz,  and  Ed- 
ward, and  Audubon,  and  White,  and  Wordsworth,  has 
fallen  upon  you. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
HOW  TO  START  A  MUSEUM. 

A  museum  may  be  a,  source  of  constant  pleasure,  or 
the  cause  of  perpetual  annoyance.  All  depends  upon 
the  purpose  with  which  it  is  started,  and  the  manner  in 
which  it  is  managed.  Before  giving  advice  as  to  the 
best  way  of  making  a  museum  permanently  enjoyable, 
I  will  mention  some  of  the  more  common  causes  of  fail- 
ure. 

1.  Many  fail  because  they  start  their  museum  "just 
for  fun."    It  is  true  that  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  can  be 
got  from  a  collection,  but  not  when  amusement  is  made 
the  main  purpose. 

2.  Others  fail  because  they  think  that  a  museum  is 
the  same  thing  as  a  curiosity-shop,  and  seek  only  those 
things  that  are  quaint  or  rare.     They  want  something 
that  will  make  their  friends    open  wide  their  eyes,  and 
they  like  to  have  people  ask,  in  surprise,  "Why,  where 
in  the  world  did  you  get,  that?" 

3.  A  third  cause  of  failure  is  the  attempt  to  collect 
all  sorts  of  things  at  once.     You  shall  see,  crowded  to- 
gether on  the  same  shelf,  coins,  stamps,  Indian  relics, 
birds'-eggs,   autographs,    sharks'-tefeth    sand    from    the 
Mississippi,  wood  from  the  home  of  Walter  Scott,  sea- 
beans,  and  pieces  of  the  funeral  decorations  in  memory 
of  Lincoln  or  Gariielcl.    In  this  way,  the  mind,  confused 
and  wearied,  soon  loses  its  interest. 

4.  An  equally  fatal  error  is  the  neglect  to  learn  all 
that  can  be  learned  about  each  specimen.     This  usually 
follows  the  first  and  second  sources  of  failure  already 
mentioned.    It  sometimes  results  from  a  selfish  spirit  of 
gain,  an  inordinate  love  of  possession. 


42  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

5.  Many  young1  persons  suppose  that  it  is  of  para- 
mount importance  to  know  the  name  of  every  specimen. 
Therefore,  finding*  it  difficult  to  ascertain  all  names  at 
once,  they  become  cliscourag-ed  and  give  up  their  purpose. 

6.  Finally,  a  mercenary  few  collect,  hoping-  to  sell 
again.     It  is  needless  to  say  that  they  ar,e  usually  dis- 
appointed in  this  hope,  and  that  whether  or  not  they  suc- 
ceed in  making-  money,  they  utterly  fail  of  reaping-  the 
true  benefits  we  propose  for  them  from  their  home  mu- 
seum. 

This  mention  of  some  of  the  more  common  causes 
of  failure  anticipates  by  contrast  the  sources  of  success. 
A  museum  should  be  started  for  the  purpose  of  learning 
by  personal  observation,  or  of  furnishing  an  opportunity 
for  others  to  do  so.  Resolutely  excluding  the  curiosity- 
shop  idea,  the  collector  should  first  definitely  decide  what 
kind  of  a  museum  he  will  make. 

To  aid  him  in  this,  I  will  indicate  several  distinct 
sorts  of  museums,  adapted  to  persons  of  different  tastes. 

1.  An  unlimited  collection;  usually  unfortunate. 

2.  A  collection  limited  as  to  place.    For  example,  all 
the     different    specimens  that  can  be  found  in  a  given 
county,   in   a  certain  township,   by   the  banks   of   some 
stream,  or  on  a  selected  mountain. 

3.  A  collection  limited  as  to  time.    Specimens  found 
between  May  and  September. 

4.  A    collection     limited    in    kind,    e.g.,    minerals, 
stamps,  ferns,  beetles,  seeds,  snow-crystals. 

5.  Collections  limited  in  two  or  more  of  these  ways; 
as,  for  example,  flowers  that  blossom  on  Mt.  Washington 
in  June;  the  varieties  of  quartz  that  occur  in  your  own 
town;   the  insects  that  visit  your  rosebush  during  one 
year. 

G.     Group-collections,  by  which  I  mean  collections  of 


HOW  TO  START  A  MUSEUM.  43 

objects  of  the  same  general  kind;  and  in  connection 
therewith,  other  objects  naturally  grouped  with  them. 
To  illustrate,  suppose  a  tree-collection.  If  you  beg-in  with 
the  chestnut,  you  might  get  a  piece  of  the  wood,  showing 
the  grain;  then  you  would  group  about  this  specimens  of- 
the  chestnut  bark,  leaves,  flowers,  and  fruit.  You  would 
add  all  the  varieties  of  moss  that  grow  on  the  tree,  all 
insects  that  frequent  and  injure  it,  perhaps  a  sketch  of 
the  entire  tree,  and  whatever  else  you  might  conceive  to 
be  naturally  connected  with  it. 

One  variety  of  group-collecting  might  be  called  a 
Development-collection,  by  which  I  mean  a  c611ection 
that  shows  different  stages  of  g'rowth.  If  you  wished  to 
show  the  progress  in  methods  of  lighting,  you  could  ar- 
range a  series  containing  a  pine-knot,  a  rush-light,  tallow 
dip,  wax  taper,  whale-oil  lamp,  fluid  lamp,  kerosene  lamp, 
gas-fixtures,  and  the  arc  and  incandescent  electric  lights. 
Or  to  illustrate  the  life-history  of  an  insect,  you  could 
have  a  series  of  specimens  beginning  with  the  egg,  and 
continued  through  the  various  forms  of  the  caterpillar 
after  its  moultings,  thei  cocoon  and  chrysalis,  to  the  per- 
fect itnayo. 

So,  with  a  plant,  an  interesting  group  would  repre- 
sent its  growth  from  seed  to  plumule,  and  through  the 
succeeding  daily  forms  to  bud  and  flower  and  fruit,  and 
back  again  to  seed. 

Another  variety  of  group-col  lection  shows  the  sev- 
eral stages  in  the  manufacture  of  common  substances. 
Beginning  with  the  cotton-boll,  you  would  have  the 
ginned  cotton,  the  thread,  the  various  kinds  of  fabrics 
that  are  woven,  from  it;  starting  again  with  the  stalk 
and  flower  of  flax,  you  would  have  the  soft,  inner,  fibrous 
bark,  the  linen  thread,  linen  and  paper  made  therefrom, 
also  the  seeds,  and  linseed-oil  pressed  out  of  them,  the 


44  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

linseed  meal  obtained  by  grinding  the  oil-cake  left  after 
the  oil  has  been  expressed,  and  the  various  other  valuable 
products  that  make  flax  so  necessary  to  our  comfort. 

7.  The  last  sort  of  museum  that  I  will  mention  may 
be  called  the  Type-collection.  This  is  a  collection  of 
typical  specimens  chosen  to  illustrate  the  branches, 
classes,  genera,  and  other  divisions  into  which  objects  are 
classified.  Following  the  popular  system,  there  might  be 
in  the  Animal  kingdom,  a  cat  to  represent  the  verte- 
brates; a  lobster  for  the  Articulates;  an  oyster  for  the 
Mollusks;  for  the  Radiates,  a  star-fish;  and  for  the  Proto- 
zoans, a  sponge.  Of  course  the  classification  may  be  car- 
ried to  any  extent  you  choose;  but  you  would  need  only 
a  few  type-specimens  in  ea.ch  division. 

These  must  be  considered  merely  as  illustratio^  of 
the  different  kinds  of  museums  that  may  be  made.  They 
range  from  the  unlimited  'Omnium  gatherum,'  which,  I 
fear  i&  the  most  common,  as  well  as  the  most  unsatisfac- 
tory, through  all  the  degrees  of  limitation. 

Having  decided  what  kind  of  museum  you  will  have, 
the  question  arises,  how  to  get  your  specimens. 

The  best,  because  the  most  profitable  and  enjoyaMe 
method,  is  by  personal  search.  This  is  particularly  true 
of  the  fifth  and  sixth  classes  of  museums.  The  same  sort 
of  pleasure  attends  this  plan  that  attends  the  sports  of 
fishing  and  hunting;  and  the  same  qualities — keenness, 
caution,  and  patience — are  developed.  The  next  best 
plan  is  by  a  series  of  exchanges. 

The  worst  plan  (except  stealing)  is  to  buy  your  speci- 
mens. Here,  however,  an  exception  must  be  made  if  you 
are  making  a  collection  of  manufactured  articles,  or  are 
arranging  for  a  regular  course  of  study. 

Having  secured  your  specimens,  they  must  be  pre- 
pared for  the  cabinet.  Many  excellent  manuals  are  pub- 


HOW  TO  START  A  MUSEUM.  45 

lished  containing1  full  instructions  for  this  preparation. 
If  you  can  get  the  advice  and  example  of  some  competent 
person,  it  will  be  still  better. 

For  the  reception  of  your  treasures,  the  variety  of 
cases  is  great.  Let  security  and  simplicity  be  sought. 
Boys  who  are  not  contented  without  showy  and  elaborate 
cases,  seldom  make  valuable  collections.  It  is  not  the 
boy  with  the  fifty-dollar  rod  that  catches  the  largest 
Irout. 

In  arranging  specimens,  give  the  largest  practical 
space.  Do  not  Imddle  them.  Nearly  all  kinds  of  speci- 
mens look  well  set  on  separate  blocks  of  wood,  painted, 
or  neatly  covered  with  white  paper.  Each  one  thus 
placed  has  an  individuality  obtainable  by  no  other  plan. 
Insects,  mosses,  shells,  fossils,  and  minerals  all  appear  to 
great  advantage  in  this  way. 

Cultivate  neat  habits.  Leave  no  debris.  Allow  no 
disagreeable  odors  in  the  room.  Keep  all  glass  brightly 
polished.  Keep  every  tool  in  its  proper  place.  Remove 
all  traces  of  dust.  A  distinguished  scientist  tells  me  that 
he  makes  many  tests  and  analyses  in  his  parlor,  and  that 
by  attending  to  the  matter,  he  does  not  make  enough  dirt 
to  soil  his  handkerchief. 

Do  not  make  your  home  museum  a  nuisance.  Many 
great  naturalists  have  erred  here.  Enthusiasm  for 
science  is  not  a  valid  excuse  for  forgetting  the  feelings  of 
others.  Remember  that  although  you  have  no  foolish 
fear  of  snakes,  it  may  be  cruel  of  you-  to  expect  your 
sister  to  share  your  unconcern;  and  that  although  you 
may  have  grown  indifferent  to  the  fumes  of  stale  and 
slimy  alcohol,  it  may  cause  your  mother  serious  distress. 

Finally,  do  not  keep  your  museum  simply  as  an  orna- 
ment. Study  your  specimens,  and  give  others  a  chance 
to  study  them.  Put  up  for  a  notice  "Hands  on,"  rather 


46  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

than  "Hands  off."  Classify  your  collection  as  well  as  you 
can,  but  remember  that  classification  is  not  the  most 
important  thing-  Take  your  specimens  one  by  one,  and 
look  a.t  them,  taste  them,  smell  them,  feel  of  them,  and 
learn  their  properties  by  personal  observation. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  COLLECTION  AND  PRESERVATION  OF  PLANTS. 
THE  COLLECTION  OF  PLANTS. 

A  few  words  may  be  useful  in  regard  to  the  collection 
and  preservation  of  plants.  The  processes  are  simple 
and  easily  learned,  yet  it  is  astonishing-  how  few  seem  to 
acquire  them.  Thing's  are  sent  to  a  botanist  for  identifi- 
cation in  such  form  as  to  make  him  shiver,  devoid  of 
essential  parts,  ill  selected,  and  badly,  or  not  at  all, 
pressed.  Good  judgment  lies  at  the  bottom  of  specimen - 
making — as  it  does  of  most  other  things.  We  may  lay 
down  rules  in  vain  if  common  sense  comes  not  in  to  tem- 
per and  control.  There  is  no  rule  for  supplying  this;  it 
is  a  matter  of  temperament  and  antecedents,  though  it 
may  be  increased  by  education.  A  sense  of  neatness  is 
almost  as  essential. 

Now  as  to  directions.  First,  when  you  go  on  an 
excursion,  wear  strong  and  plain  clothes  that  you  are  not 
fearful  of  injuring.  Briers  and  bogs  are  no  respecters  of 
raiment.  Select  broad,  low-heeled,  comfortable  shoes. 
Repentance  follows  upon  a  tight  boot,  especially  in 
mountainous  regions.  And,  by  the  way,  in  such  rough 
districts,  it  is  well  to  stud  the  soles  with  hob-nails.  They 
aid  very  much  in  climbing. 

The  outfit  should  consist  of  a  pocket-knife  of  some 
sort,  a  cane, hooked  at  the  end,  for  pulling-down  branches 
of  trees,  or  securing  water-plants  otherwise  unattainable; 
a  ball  of  twine;  some  vials  and  pill-boxes.  The  last  are 
carried,  not  for  any  medicinal  value,  but  for  preserving 
seeds,  algae  or  other  small  objects. 

By  all  means  take  a  note-book  in  which  to  jot  down 
memoranda  of  various  sorts.  Few  persons  can  trust  the 


48  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

memory  implicitly  concerning  the  occupations  and  collec- 
tions of  a  day.  Field-notes  carefully  made  are  often  of 
more  value  to  others  than  to  the  person  immediately  con- 
cerned. Moreover,  the  taking  of  them  inculcates  a  useful 
lesson  of  painstaking  observation,  terse  expression,  and 
neatness  of  style.  Nothing  should  be  done  in  a  slovenly 
way.  Sketches,  well  made,  and  illustrative  either  of 
landscapes  or  plants,  are  a  commendable  addition  to  such 
notes.  A  set  of  such  note-books,  kept  through  a  series  of 
years,  becomes,  indeed,  a  diary  of  delightful  facts. 
Throughout  life,  and  in  periods  of  despondency,  the 
records  will  recall  scenes  of  inexpressible  joy.  It  is  well 
to  provide  one's  self  with  a  pocket-map  of  the  county  or 
region  to  be  visited.  On  this  can  be  recorded  the  roads, 
forests,  hills,  springs,  marshes,  etc.  The  geological  for- 
mation, too,  can  be  put  in  by  colors,  and  even  the  favorite 
haunts  of  the  rarer  flowers  can  be  indicated. 

It  is  surprising  how,  by  this  means,  a  person  will 
acquire  a  nearly  perfect  knowledge  of  the  features  of  a 
district.  If  your  state  or  county  is  a  larg^e  one,  cut  up  the 
map  into  portions,  and  paste  these  on  cloth. 

If  you  have  an  eye  to  the  inner  man  and  creature- 
comforts,  take  a  drinking-cup  and  provide  a  luncheon.  In 
these  preliminary  directions  we  have  cleared  the  way 
for  the  consideration  of  the  really  technical  apparatus 
required.  There  are  two  modes  of  collecting  plants,  both 
of  which  possess  certain  advantages.  We  find  different 
collectors  wedded  to  one  or  the  other,  and,  indeed,  pre- 
pared to  do  valorous  battle  for  the  ojie  they  have  choson. 
Our  own  attitude  is  conservative.  Sometin>es  we  try  one 
plan,  sometimes  another.  It  depends  somewhat  upon 
the  occasion  and  the  environment.  Some  botanists  use 
only  the  tin  box;  others  use  only  the  portfolio.  We  em- 
ploy either  or  both  as  the  case  demands.  The  box,  or 


COLLECTION  OF  PLANTS.  49 

rasculum,  is  usually  a  flattened  cylinder  of  any  size  to  suit 
the  caprice  of  the  owner.  It  opens  through  nearly  the 
whole  of  one  side,  and  has  a  cover  confined  by  a  sliding" 
bar.  We  have  one  small  one,  and  another  that  is  often 
mistaken  for  a  wash-boiler.  Such  a  box  may  be  of  one 
compartment,  or  divided  into  several.  Plants,  especially 
if  closely  packed,  will  keep  in  it  for  a  long  time.  For 
ordinary  study  or  school  work,  the  box  is  to  be  preferred. 
By  it  the  plants  are  brought  in  fresh,  and  with  their 
natural  contour  and  expression.  It  is  well  during  a  jour- 
ney to  sprinkle  them  with  water  now  and  then.  Prob- 
ably the  largest  and  best  collections  are  made  by  means 
of  the  portfolio.  This  consists  essentially  of  two  binder's 
boards  of  standard  size,  17x12  in. — that  is  a  little  larger 
than  the  sheets  upon  which  the  plants  are  subsequently 
to  be  mounted.  These  should  be  covered  with  enameled 
cloth,  and  left  free;  that  is,  not  connected  by  the  back  in 
the  manner  of  a  book.  Around  them  must  pass  a  couple 
of  straps,  held  in  place,  and  by  which  pressure  can  be 
brought  to  bear  on  the  contained  papers.  Within  these 
covers  we  have  the  field-folios,  or  sheets  of  bibulous 
paper,  with  here  and  there  a  regular  drier  to  give  firm- 
ness to  the  whole.  So  much  for  putfit.  We  must  now 
state  how  our  apparatus  is  to  be  used.  The  first  thing 
is  to  select  your  plants.  Beginners  make  the  mistake  of 
collecting  things  that  are  too  young  —  perhaps  with  a 
fellow-feeling  for  the  inexperienced.  Be  patient!  Wait 
till  the  plants  are  well  in  flower,  and  if  possible,  even 
partly  in  fruit.  If  you  cannot  get  fruit  and  flower  to- 
gether, visit  the  locality  again  for  the  former.  At  any 
rate,  always  secure  it.  The  fruit  is  often  essential  to  the 
identification  of  a  plant.  In  the  same  way  one  must  havt 
'<he  underground  parts,  roots,  tubers,  root-stocks,  etc., 
paring'  these  down  if  too  bulky.  Do  not,  on  any  account, 
*4 


50  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

merely  nip  off  the  top  of  a  plant,  and  think  you  have  a 
specimen.  Yon  will,  in  such  case,  only  lay  up  trouble  for 
yourself  and  others. 

Ferns  require  the  underground  parts.  The  Umliel- 
liferae,  Crucifcrae,  Carices,  and  Potamoyetons  must  be  col- 
lected in  fruit.  Grasses,  on  the  other  hand,  oftener  need 
the  flowers. 

Generally  a  number  of  specimens  will  be  growing1  to- 
gether. Of  these  some  will  be  better  than  others.  Select 
the  best;  those  which  seem  the  most  representative,  least 
injured  in  any  way;  good  average  examples  of  the  whole. 
If  you  are  using  the  box,  no  special  advice  is  necessary. 
Lay  the  plants  in  smoothly,  avoiding  injury  so  far  as 
is  possible.  If  the  portfolio  is  employed,  open  it,  and  put 
one  or  more  pla.nts  of  the  same  species  in  a  single  sheet, 
carefully  laying  them  out,  and  then  bringing  down  the 
upper  sheet  over  them.  On  either  side  put  drying-papers, 
then  another  species-sheet  with  more  specimens,  then 
more  driers,  and  so  on.  Never  mix  species  on  the  same 
sheet.  Put  with  each  species  a  field-label,  stating,  if 
known,  the  name  of  the  plant,  and  the  date  and  place  of 
collection.  To  these  data  may  usefully  be  added  color  of 
flower,  height  of  plant,  nature  of  soil,  and  habit  of 
growth,  though  much  of  such  information  is  best  left  in 
the  note-book,  with  reference  to  the  specimens. 

The  ultimate  process  of  drying,  upon  which  so  much 
depends,  is,  in  effect,  pretty  much  the  same  as  the  fiekl- 
work  with  the  portfolio,  only  now  one  uses  a  regular 
press.  We  say  a  regular  one;  but,  on  second  thought,  we 
should  correct  by  saying  the  simplest  press  you  can 
make.  As  good  as  any  consists  of  two  strong,  cleated 
boards,  with  a  weight  on  top.  The  plants  are  removed 
from  box  or  portfolio,  and  placed  in  4heir  species-sheets, 
between  driers,  or  wads  of  bibulous  paper.  A  pile  is  thus 


COLLECTION  OF  PLANTS.  51 

made.  The  specimens  remain  permanently  in  their 
special  folios,  but  the  driers  must  be  frequently  changed, 
and  new  ones  put  in,  while  the  wet  ones  are  exposed  to 
sunlight  or  heat.  Herein  is  the  whole  secret  of  good 
specimen-making':  well-regulated  pressure,  and  incessant 
change  of  driers. 

We  ought  to  state,  however,  as  this  is  a  perverse 
world,  and  inanimate  objects  often  seem  imp-directed, 
that  when  one  wholly  forgets  a  series  of  specimens,  and 
leaves  them  in  the  press  for  weeks,  they  occasionally  come 
out  better  than  others  that  have  been  watched.  Yet, 
dear,  youthful  collector,  build  not  too  high  hope  on  this 
result  of  laziness!  Eternal  vigilance  is  the  rule.  Vari- 
ous forms  of  press  are  used.  Some  are  provided  with 
straps,  others  with  screws  and  levers.  After  all,  a  simple 
weight,  following  the  plants  down  as  they  shrink,  is  as 
good  as  anything.  The  length  of  time  that  a  plant  should 
remain  in  press  can  best  be  learned  from  experience 
Judge  by  the  feeling  whether  it  is  dry.  If  still  damp,  let 
it  remain. 

THE  MOUNTING  OF  PLANTS. 

The  collector's  work  does  not  cease  when  he  has 
pressed  his  plants.  Indeed,  it  has  then  hardly  begun. 
Supposing  that  they  are  now  perfectly  dried,  they  must 
next  be  poisoned.  This  is  necessary  to  prevent  the 
attacks  of  insects  which  will  otherwise  be  likely  com- 
pletely to  destroy  them.  One  has  a  feeling  of  despair 
when  he  goes  to  his  cases  some  day  and  finds  the  work  of 
years  in  ruins.  Corrosive  sublimate  applied  with  a  soft 
brush  is  the  best  remedy  known.  It  should  be  dissolved 
almost  to  saturation  in  strong  alcohol,  and  the  bottle 
plainly  marked  as  poisonous.  Keep  the  solution  out  of 
the  way  of  small  children  and  irresponsible  persons. 


52  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

Small  plants  may  be  directly  immersed  in  the  fluid,  con- 
tained for  a  time  in  a  shallow  pan. 

Prevention  is  better  than  cure.  Keep  the  bugs  out  in 
1he  first  place.  Cases  cannot  be  too  tight.  Mr.  Sereno 
Watson  tells  us  that  he  would  rather  rely  on  a  tight  case 
than  on  the  poison  itself.  Inquire  always  whether  plants 
received  in  exchange  have  been  properly  poisoned.  Quar- 
antine them  until  you  are  sure.  If,  despite  all  precau- 
tions, the  cases  become  infested,  fumigate  them  with 
bisulphide  of  carbon.  Here,  again,  bear  in  mind  that 
this  liquid  is  dangerously  inflammable.  Put  a  little  of  it 
in  each  case.  In  a  few  hours  it  will  evaporate.  Then 
open  windows  and  ventilate  the  room  before  bringing 
]ights,  or  fire  of  any  kind,  near. 

Plants  are  mounted  in  various  ways  according  to 
individual  taste  and  judgment.  Sometimes  they  are 
stuck  down  by  slips  of  adhesive  paper;  oftener  by  glue. 
We  ourselves  employ  Le  Page's  carriage-glue,  and  thus 
escape  the  nuisance  of  a  glue-pot.  The  medium  is  always 
ready.  Apply  the  glue  lightly  on  one  side  of  the  plant, 
laid  for  the  time  on  a  sheet  of  waste  paper.  Then  lay  the 
plant,  sticky  side  down  on  the  sheet  to  which  it  is  to  be 
fixed.  Place  over  ic  some  drying  paper,  and  apply  light 
pressure.  We  often  mount  a  hundred  plants  in  a  day. 
Put  only  one  species  on  a  sheet.  In  order  to  make  your 
heap  lie  smooth  in  the  case,  arid  without  bulging  in  the 
middle,  place  some  plants  on  one  margin  of  the  page; 
others  on  the  opposite  margin;  some  at  the  top,  others  at 
the  bottom.  Leave  room,  if  you  can,  for  other  specimens 
of  the  same  plant  from  other  places.  Apply  your  own. 
label  to  the  lower  right-hand  side;  the  collector's  label  to 
the  lower  left.  On  these  labels  write  leg'ibly  the  name 
of  the  plant,  the  date  and  place  of  collection,  and  such 
other  data  as  can  be  compressed  in  so  limited  space.  A 


COLLECTION  OF  PLANTS.  53 

portion  of  the  label  can  always  be  printed  as  per  sample: 


HERBARIUM  OF  T.  Z.  JONES. 


Much  bad  taste  is  shown  in  the  construction  of  labels. 
Avoid  all  tendency  to  fancy  borders.  Strive  for  clear- 
ness and  simplicity.  At  the  same  time,  let  the  paper  of 
the  label  be  such  as  wall  readily  take  glue  without  too 
much  curling1.  Mounting1  paper  can  be  obtained  from 
any  naturalist's  agency,  or  from  a  bindery.  The  stand- 
ard size  is  16*4  inches  by  Iiy2.  Uniformity  is  desirable, 
,so  that  when  the  collection  is  broken  up,  as  it  is  sure  to 
be  in  time,  it  may  find  a  fitting  abode  in  some  public  her- 
barium. 

Our  plants  are  now  mounted  and  labeled.  Place  thrm 
next  under  their  proper  genus  covers,  and  in  their  ordinal 
relations  in  the  proper  pigeon-holes  of  your  case.  It 
would  lead  us  too  far  to  speak  of  the  various  cases  used. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  case  should  be  of  convenient 
height,  and  the  compartments  deep  and  broad  enough 
easily  to  receive  the  sheets.  If  possible  have  tight  doors, 
excluding  dust  and  insects — the  whole  fastening  by  the 
'Jenks,'  or  some  other  combination  lock. 

We  are  often  asked  how  to  learn  classification.  It 
can  be  learned  only  by  classifying.  A  summer  spent  in 
collecting1  and  arranging  a  lot  of  plants  conveys  more 
definite  ideas  of  'affinity'  than  hours  of  lecturing.  It  is 
the  fashion  nowadays  to  decry  systematic  work,  but  it  is 
likely  to  have  its  uses  for  some  time  to  come.  The  aver- 
age young  pupil  is  more  interested  in  the  plants  afield 
than  in  the  differentiation  of  the  punctum  vcget ationis :  at 
least  such  is  our  experience. 


54  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

In  conclusion,  we  will  say  that  dried  plants  can  be 
studied  almost  as  well  as  the  fresh.  A  short  soaking1  in 
water  softens  the  parts,  restores  the  contours,  and  makes 
everything  available  for  dissection.  Indeed,  the  larger 
part  of  a  systematic  botanist's  work  is  upon  dried  plants. 
The  herbarium  is  a  sort  of  cyclopaedia — a  book  of  refer- 
ence, where  the  explanations  are  afforded  by  the  plants 
themselves.  It  is  out  of  the  question  personally  to  col- 
lect all  the  plants  even  of  a  single  family  whose  times  of 
blooming  and  fruiting  are  different,  and  whose  locali- 
ties are  remote,  and  perhaps  to  you  inaccessible.  In  the 
herbarium  you  have  the  whole  range  side  by  side  and  can 
institute  comparisons.  In  the  useful  study  of  plant  dis- 
tribution, as  in  many  other  ways,  then,  the  hortus  siccus  is 
a  necessity. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place,  in  connection  with  rules 
for  preserving  plants,  to  give  the  following  method  of 
preparing  specimens  of  wood  for  the  cabinet:  Cut  boards 
five  by  eight  inches  and  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick.  Sea- 
son, and  plane  smooth.  Varnish  one-half.  Then  cut 
from  a  sapling,  two  or  three  inches  in  diameter,  some 
pieces  one-quarter  of  an  inch  thick.  Saw  these  in  a 
square  mitre-box.  Saw  off  several,  as  some  may  warp  or 
split.  In  summer,  the  pieces  will  season  without  a  fire. 
In  winter,  a  fire  is  needed,  but  the  wood  should  not  be  put 
too  near  it.  When  the  end  sections  are  seasoned,  smooth 
one  side  carefully  with  a  rasp,  so  as  not  to  mar  the  bark. 
Finish  with  fine  sand-paper.  Polish,  oil,  or  varnish,  being 
careful  not  to  varnish  the  bark.  When  dry,  fasten  with 
small  screws,  from  the  back,  to  the  center  of  the  boards 
previously  described. 

For  most  of  the  excellent  advice  regarding  the  care 
of  plants,  which  is  presented  in  this  chapter,  we  are  in- 
debted to  Prof.  W.  Whitman  Bailey.  In  closing,  we  com- 


COLLECTION  OF  PLANTS.  55 

mend  to  our  readers  the  following  hints  contained  in  a 
letter  from  Mr.  Herbert  M.  Ellis  to  the  Selborne  Society 
of  England. 

"It  seems  most  curious,  and  yet  I  think  there  can  be 
no  doubt  of  the  fact,  that  the  chief  culprits  as  regards  the 
destruction  of  wild  flowers  and  ferns,  and  birds  and 
insects,  are  those  who  in  their  hearts  have  most  sym- 
pathy and  love  for  them.  One  of  those  benighted  beings, 
though  I  suppose  they  form  the  majority  of  our  fellow- 
creatures,  on  whom  the  quiet  beauty  and  serene  loveliness 
of  the  country  is  lost,  to  whom  a  growing  field  in  June  is 
but  a  field  of  grass,  to  whom  the  loveliest  dell  in  Devon- 
shire is  only  worthy  of  notice  if  he  wants  a  quiet  smoke, 
whose  only  manner  of  distinction  among  birds  is  "large" 
or  "small,"  to  whom  all  sea-birds  are  gulls,  all  water- 
birds  dab-chicks,  and  all  wild  flowers  simply  as  the  grass 
under  his  feet — such  a  one,  though  much  to  be  pitied,  is 
quite  innocent  otf  the  posies  of  de.id  wi'dflow.  rsby  the  way- 
side, or  the  ghastly  arrays  of  ill-stuffed  birds  and  beasts 
in  musty  cupboards  and  on  bookshelves  at  home,  or  heaps 
of  unfortunate  little  butterflies  which  never  get  as  far  as 
the  setting-board.  No;  such  sights  as  these  are  gener- 
ally the  work  of  those  who  love  the  things  of  nature  not 
wisely,  but  too  well.  Like  Mother  Eve,  they  cannot  be 
satisfied  with  seeing,  without  wanting  to  possess  more 
than  is  necessary  for  them  or  good  for  others.  What  is 
it,  then,  that  is  needed  in  our  rambles  and  excursions? 
Is  it  not  a  thoughtful  love  for  these  things?  I  would  of- 
fer the  following  practical  suggestions,  which  I  think  can 
scarcely  hinder  any  one  from  enjoying  the  country  as 
much  as  ever,  and  at  the  same  time  help  to  carry  out  the 
objects  which  your  Society  has  in  view: 

1.  When  in  the  country  do  not  ruthlessly  pull  up 
and  pick  every  flower  you  come  across  when  you  first  set 


56  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

off.     Gather  your  flowers  if  possible  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  day,  when  they  will  be  less  likly  to  die. 

2.  Do  not  entirely  denude  one  place  of  flowers,  what- 
ever they  may  be. 

3.  Do  not  pluck  flowers  which  by  nature  fade  direct- 
ly, such  as  wood  anemones  and  wood  sorrel,  wrhich  never 
look  half  so  well  in  vases  as  in  their  native  place. 

4.  Do  not  dig-  up  flower  roots  at  the  time  of  flower- 
ing', a  most  common  and  pernicious  practice;   it  is  the 
worst  possible  time  for  transplanting-." 


CHAPTEK  VI. 

HOW  TO  COLLECT  AND  PRESERVE  SEA-WEED. 

Louisa  Lane  Clarke,  in  'Common  Sea-weeds,'  gives 
the  following1  suggestions,  which  are  evidently  the  fruit 
of  experience:  "We  dabble  in  the  cool,  clear  tide-pools, 
and  scarcely  know  what  we  take  up;  there  is  a  world  of 
life  in  each.  The  speckled  prawn  is  balancing-  himself, 
and  waving-  to  and  fro  his  sensitive  feelers,  spring-ing 
away  under  the  rich  foliage  that  conceals  his  hiding- 
place;  and  the  small  blenny  darts  like  a  lightning-flash 
from  cranny  to  crevice,  the  fear  and  the  dread  of  man 
upon  it.  On  the  green  Ulva  creeps  the  lovely  little  slug- — 
a  bright  green,  spotted  with  white — called  Acteon-  viridis, 
and  on  darker  sea-weeds  the  great  purplish  sea-hare.  Sea- 
spiders  lurk  amid  the  coralline;  and  as  we  gather  a 
bunch  of  sea-weed,  we  shake  out  dozens  of  a  pretty  little 
snail  called  Rissoa,  besides  gathering,  if  we  please,  bright 
yellow  Ncrita,  the  commonest  sea-snail  of  our  coast.  All 
these  force  themselves  on  the  notice  of  the  sea-weed 
gatherer,  as  we  scramble  over  the  rocks,  and  pause  to 
consider  where  we  shall  begin. 

I  advise  taking  a  little  of  everything — not  much,  for 
they  so  soon  spoil  in  waiting  to  be  mounted — and  nam- 
ing each  specimen  as  it  is  decided  by  reference  to  your 
manual.  If  you  have  but  a  day  for  a  sea-side  holiday,  go 
down  to  the  lowest  ebb  of  the  tide,  in  hopes  of  the  best 
red  sea-weeds,  and  work  back  to  the  commoner,  but  still 
beautiful,  green  sea-weeds,  Ulmc  and  CladopJwrae. 

Suppose,  now,  that  we  have  made  our  search,  and 
have  brought  home  a  tanglecj  mass  of  olive,  red,  and 
green  sea-weeds. 

We  get  some  soup-plates,  fresh  water,  a  bit  of  alum, 


58  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

some  camel-hair  pencils,  and  /  use  needles  mounted  on 
lucifer  matches,  to  assist  in  disentangling-  the  mass. 

Of  course  we  are  prepared  with  paper  cut  into  large 
and  small  squares;  and,  us  much  of  the  beauty  of  the 
specimens  depends  on  the  quality  of  the  paper,  it  should 
be  fine,  and  at  the  same  time  stout,  almost  as  good  as 
d  ra  wing-paper . 

Now  float  a  piece  of  weed  in  fresh  water;  if  very 
dirty  or  sandy,  w^ash  it  first,  and  in  renewed  water  float 
it  on  a  piece  of  paper  supported  by  your  left  hand,  whilst 
with  your  right  hand  you  arrange  the  plant  in  a  natural 
manner,  using  a  mounted  needle  or  porcupine-quill,  and 
thinning  out  the  superabundant  branches  with  a  fine- 
pointed  pair  of  scissors.  When  the  specimen  is  placed 
as  you  like  it,  cautiously  raise  the  paper  that  the  position 
of  the  plant  be  not  altered,  and  let  it  rest  somewhere  with 
sloping  inclination,  that  the  moisture  may  run  off  whilst 
other,  specimens  are  treated  in  the  same  way. 

Do  not  leave  them  long  thus,  for  they  must  be 
pressed  before  the  paper  is  dry. 

A  convenient  traveling-press  consists  of  two  pieces  of 
deal  board  about  two  feet  long  and  one  foot  \vide,  a 
couple  of  quires  of  white-brown  paper,  and  a  double 
strap.  Lay  blotting-paper  between  the  coarser  paper, 
and  you  can  strap  them  closely  and  carry  your  sea-weed 
very  safely  in  your  hand 

In  drying  them,  you  must  have  old  linen  or  fine  mus- 
lin, old  and  soft,  to  lay  upon  the  weed  and  prevent  it 
sticking  to  the  upper  paper,  but  do  not  leave  it  beyond  a 
day  or  so,  lest  it  leave  chequered  marks  upon  the  surface 
of  the  weed,  especially  those  with  broad  fronds,  like 
Delesseria. 

Experience  will  give  the  best  lessons.  Some  sea- 
weeds, such  as  Meloyloia,  which  are  glutinous,  must  not 


COLLECTION  OF  SEA-WEED.  59 

but  pressed  at  all,but  laid  out  to  dry,  and  when  perfectly 
so,  then  moisten  the  under  side  of  the  paper,  and  give  a 
gentle  pressure  only. 

Others  will  not  adhere  to  paper,  and  therefore,  when 
dry,  brush  them  over  with  a  little  isinglass  dissolved  in 
gin  (laid  on  warm),  and  they  will  then  be  fixed  closely  to 
the  card-board  or  paper. 

Another  preparation  is:  One  ounce  oil  of  turpentine, 
in  which  some  gum  mastic  the  size  of  a  nutmeg  has  been 
dissolved.  This  gives  a  gloss  to  the  specimen,  and  helps 
to  preserve  the  color. 

You  must  change  the  blotting-paper  and  muslin  at 
least  twice  during  the  process  of  drying  larger  sea- 
weeds; the  smaller  ones  will  be  ready  in  a  couple  of  days 
for  the  album,  on  the  second  day  giving  heavy  pressure 
by  stones  and  weights  besides  the  strap." 


CHAPTER  VII. 
PLANS  FOR  BOTANICAL  WORK. 

The  following  suggestions  written  by  Mr.  Win.  B. 
Werthner,  for  Chapter  940,  Dayton,  O.,  are  so  practical 
and  valuable  that  we  are  glad  to  reproduce  them  here  for 
the  benefit  of  the  whole  Association : 

"As  spring  conies  on,  an  interest  in  nature  is  awak- 
ened, a-nd  as  botany  offers  so  many  fields  for  individual 
work,  the  following  suggestions  are  made  with  the  hope 
that  they  may  induce  more  out-of-door  study.  The 
student  will  easily  find  that  one  season's  work  does  not 
exhaust  the  subject,  and  that  he  may  continue  from  year 
to  year,  always  learning  some  things  he  did  not  know- 
before,  and  that  his  investigations  may  lead  to  discover- 
ies of  the  highest  importance,  giving  him  a  deeper  under- 
standing of  natural  forces  and  a  better  appreciation  of 
life  itself.  This  science  is  so  comprehensive  that  men 
have  long'  ago  given  up  the  idea  of  being  master  of  it  all; 
and  so  you  will  see  that  one  or  two  things  carefully  stud- 
ied and  collected  will  give  you  more  pleasure,  and  lead  to 
better  results,  than  a  superficial  study  of  the  whole  field. 

The  question  is  asked:  What  can  I  do  out  of  school, 
in  summer  and  other  times,  to  keep  up  my  interest  or 
direct  my  attention  to  botanical  problems?  Here  are  a 
few  topics  for  investigation: 

F.     Make  experiments  with  living  plants. 

(a)  Seedlings.  Note  under  what  circumstances  differ- 
ent seeds  will  germinate;  whether  they  all  need  the 
same  amount  of  air,  warmth,  water,  etc.  Compare 
their  modes  of  growth;  plant  in  various  kinds  of 
soil,  and  at  different  times. 


PLANS  FOR  BOTANICAL  WORK.  61 

(&)  Make  a  study  of  the  life  history  of  a  single  plant; 
start  corn,  beans,  peas,  sunflowers,  morning-glories, 
etc.,  to  growing;  study  the  needs  and  behavior  of 
the  growing  plant,  its  rapidity  of  growth,  its  rela- 
tion to  warmth,  light,  water,  wind,  insects,  other 
plants;  learn  the  uses  of  all  its  parts;  note  the 
circumstances  of  the  unfolding  of  its  buds,  leaves, 
flowers,  the  formation  of  its  fruit;  watch  it  daily 
and  write  down  your  observations;  draw  all  its 
organs;  investigate  its  motions  and  determine 
their  causes  and  uses.  You  will  often  be  in  the 
dark  about  certain  phenomena,  but  the  work  will 
be  of  great  interest. 

(c)  Cut  off  parts,  such  as  branches,   flowers,   leaves; 
keep  them  in  water  and  watch  closely;  plant  them 
to  see  if  they  will  take  root. 

(d)  Subject  certain  plants  to  various  amounts  of  light, 
heat,  or  miter;    note  their  behavior. 

(e)  Make  special  study  of  the  movements  of  plants;  of 
what  use  they  are;  how  caused;  observe  the  condi- 
tions  under  which   blossoms   open   and   close,    or 
leaves  turn,  or  tendrils  curl,  etc. 

II.  Habitats  of  plants;    why  some  grow  here  and  not 
there;    why  some  are  very  common  and  others  re- 
stricted to  very  narrow  limits;  what  effect  a  certain 
location  may  have  on  the  plant. 

III.  Collect  and  study  certain  families  or  groups,  such  as 
violets,    roses,    cresses,    mints,    grasses,    composites, 
ferns,  mosses,  etc.     See  why  they  are  grouped   to- 
gether, what  ties  of  relationship  they  have,  whether 


62  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

of  size,  structure,  habitat;  whether  certain  families 
are  more  common  in  some  places  than  others,  and 
why? 

IV.  Local  Flora,  the  plants  of  a  certain  locality,  a  wood, 
meadow,  railroad-bank,  swamp,  etc.       Follow  up  a 
brook,  find  what  plants  accompany  it,  why  they  are 
absent  in  some  places  and  abundant  in  others.       A 
waste  piece  of  land;  see  what  weeds,  shrubs  or  trees 
are  there;  how  they  came,  which  were  first  arrivals, 
why  not  all  the  immigrants  remained.     Or  try  to  ac- 
count for  the  large  number  of  plants  often  found 
crowded  in  the  same  field. 

V.  Plants  found  growing  without  cultivation  within  the 
city  limits;  account  for  their  presence;  note  whether 
they  are  transient,  or  appear  from  year  to  year. 

VI.  Make  a  study  of  the  many  parasites  found  on  plants. 
(With  these,  microscopes  should  be  used.) 

VII.  Make   comparative  studies   of  buds,   roots,   leaves, 
bark,  leaf-scars,  pith,  etc.;   get  many  specimens  to 
compare  form,  size,  structure;  see  how  similar  func- 
tions are  performed  in  very  different  ways,  or  how 
similar  organs  have  very  different  offices;   e.  g.,  see 
how  climbing  may  be  accomplished  in  one  plant  by 
twining,  in  another  by  tendrils,  a  third  by  rootlets,  a 
fourth  by  hooks,  etc.,  or  learn  how  one  tree  may  have 
its  buds  protected  by  scales,  another  by  wool,  a  third 
by  varnish,  etc. 

VIII.  Collect  and  study  different  kinds  of  wood;  quality, 
color,  uses,  structure,  etc.     Make  sections  and  study 
with  the  microscope;     note  the  difference  between 
heart-wood  and   sap-wood,  or  between    roots     and 
branches,  or  the  nature  of  woody  climbing  plants. 


PLANS  FOR  BOTANICAL  WORK.  63 

IX.     Make  drawing  from  nature  a  specialty;    buds  and 
branches,  leaves,  flowers,  fruits,  seeds,  entire  plants. 

X.  Trees;  their  appearance  in  winter  and  in  summer; 
their  foliage,  mode  of  branching,  habitats,  etc.  Note 
localities  where  fine  specimens  occur,  take  measures; 
learn  to  distinguish  them  by  their  bark,  branches, 
leaves,  as  well  as  flowers  and  fruits.  Take  a  single 
tree,  e.  (j->  the  hickory,  for  special  investigation;  col- 
lect and  study  its  buds,  branches,  bark,  wood,  leaves, 
flowers,  nuts,  seedlings,  saplings,  etc.  Learn  the  uses 
of  forests,  their  relations  to  rivers,  winds,  frosts, 
rain;  their  help  to  civilization,  the  desirability  of 
trees  and  parks  in  cities. 

XI.  Fruits  and  seeds;  color,  form,  structure,  modes  of 
attachment;    make  sections  and  draw.       Study  the 
distribution  of  plants,  the  agencies  concerned   (such 
as    insects,    birds,    squirrels,    other    animals,    wind, 
rivers,  etc.) ;  see  'how  man  voluntarily  and  otherwise 
aids  in  this  process.     Note  the  various  adaptations  in 
fruits,  seeds,  or  in  the  whole  plant  to  further  dis- 
semination. 

XII.  Color  in  plants. 

(1)  Of  flowers;  note  whether  the  seasons  have  particu- 
larly prominent  colors;      whether  the  colors  have 
any  relation  to  insects;  make  lists  of  white  flowers, 
of  red,  yellow,  blue,  etc. 

(2)  Of  fruits;    aids  to  dispersion  by  birds,  protective 
colors  of  green  fruits,  etc. 

(3)  Of  foliage;  relation  to  the  season,  light,  shade,  etc. 

XIII.  Our  native  shrubs;  collect  and  study  the  flowers 
and  fruits;  note  their  habitats. 


64  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

XIV.  Make  lists  of  sprinff  flowers,  summer  flowers,  etc., 
or  flowers  of  e  certain  month.     Note  the  procession 
of  flowers. 

XV.  Study  the  odors  of  flowers;  make  lists  of  fragrant 
ones,  note  at  what  seasons  they  are  found,  and  their 
relation  to  the  color,  habitat,  etc.,  of  the  plant,  and  to 
insects. 

XVI.  Study  the  weeds  of  a  locality,  and  try  to  learn  why 
they  are  so  common,  how  their  seeds  are  carried,  why 
they  are  troublesome  or  so  difficult  to  exterminate. 
Try  to  find  out  their  original  home  by  reference  to 
books. 

XVII.  Make  a  list  of  the  flowcriny  tinier  of  our  common- 
est plants.     Repeat  this  next  year  and  note  whether 
the  dates  are  the  same;  if  not,  why? 

XMI1.  Note  the  ways  in  which  plants  protect  them- 
selves against  cold,  rain,  insects,  or  other  enemies; 
study  thorns,  prickles,  hair,  wax,  bad  odors,  etc. 

XIX.  Relations  of  plants  io  each  other;  helpful,  harmful. 

XX.  Relations  of  animals  Io  plants;  helpful  in  distribiit- 
ing  seeds  or  carrying1  pollen;  harmful  in  destroying 
leaves,  buds,  fruits,  roots,  etc. 

XXI.  Relation  of  wind  and  water  to  plants;    carrying- 
pollen,   seed,  roots,  etc.     Wind   bringing-  rain,  rain 
dissolving  food  in  ground,  etc. 

XXII.  Climbing  plant*;  make  list  of  those  found;  study 
their  ways  and  means  and  habitats;   note  how  the 
same  end  may  be  attained  in  very  different  manners; 
observe  how  trees  and  other  objects  on  which  they 
grow  are  affected. 


PLANS  FOR  BOTANICAL  WORK.  65 

XXIII.  Study  those  plants  that  bloom  before  thei**  leaves 
appear;  those  whose  flowers  and  leaves  appear  to- 
g-ether;   try   to  understand   the   advantage  of   such 
habits. 

XXIV.  See  why  insects  visit  flowers,  how  they  are  at- 
tracted, of  what  use  they  are  to  the  plant,  and  what 
various  mutual  adaptations  have  taken  place.     Note 
whether  insects  visit  only  certain  flowers,  or  any  in- 
discriminately;   find   out  whether  they   can   distin- 
guish colors  or  the  fragrance  of  blossoms.     Note  how 
cross-fertilization  is  also  carried  on  in  other  wrays,  by 
wind,  birds,  etc. 

XXV.  Study  the  pliyllotaxy,  not  alone  of  trees,  but  also 
of  shrubs  and  herbs,  as  well  as  flower-clusters  and 
fruits.     Those   who  take  pleasure  in  mathematical 
problems  will  find  some  here  in  Nature's  workshop 
that  will  give  them  plenty  to  do.     Make  lists  of  your 
findings. 

XXVI.  Monoecious  and  Dioecious  plants;      make  lists; 
note  their  places  of  growth,  how  far  the  latter  are 
often  apart,  and  by  what  means  the  pollen  is  carried. 

XXVII.  Winged  fruits. 

XXVIII.  Plants  injurious  to  man. 

XXIX.  Aquatic  plants;  foliage,  time  and  manner  of  flowr 
ering,  etc. 

XXX.  Effects  of  cultivation  on  plants. 

XXXI.  Watch   the    development   of   the   fruit   from    the 
flower   through    its    various    stages    in    the    cherry, 
apple,  rose,  grape,  maple,  pea,  bean,  walnut,  corn, 
etc. 


b6  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

The  most  enjoyable  and  profitable  way  of  studying  or 
collecting  is  that  of  personal  search  and  independent 
work 

Look  for  specimens  on  all  your  walks,  keep  your  eyes 
open;  you  have  no  idea  how  much  your  powers  of  obser- 
vation will  be  increased  by  constant  practice. 

Never  go  out  without  your  tools  —  knife,  trowel, 
string,  note-book  and  pencil,  and  whatever  you  may  want 
to  use  in  carrying  home  your  specimens.  Don't  be  satis- 
fied with  the  observations  merely;  write  down  what  you 
have  seen,  note  any  questions  that  may  occur  to  you,  for 
future  study. 

Always  date  your  finds,  giving  time,  place,  and  cir- 
cumstances; otherwise  your  observations  will  too  often 
be  useless.  Repeat  your  work,  and  don't  be  in  a  hurry. 
Nature  herself  is  not. 

Make  frequent  drawings,  not  so  much  that  you  may 
become  proficient  in  this  art  (though  this  would  be  great 
gain),  but  that  you  may  see  the  parts  of  the  object  clearly 
and  make  them  your  own. 


CHAPTEK  VIII. 

HOW  TO  COLLECT,  STUDY,  AND  PRESERVE    INSECTS. 

Of  the  members  of  the  Agassiz  Association,  more 
have  expressed  a  preference  for  the  study  of  entomology 
than  for  almost  any  other  branch.  Curiously  enough, 
the  girls  seem  to  be  quite  as  fond  of  insects  as  the  boys 
are.  It  is  not  difficult  to  account  for  this  preference. 
The  many-hued  wing's  of  butterflies  flashing1  in  the  sun, 
the  metallic  gleam  of  beetles,  the  feathery  grace  and 
rich  coloring  of  the  moths,  the  dreamy  pinions  of  dragon- 
flies,  the  excitement  of  the  chase,  and  above  all,  the  mys- 
terious and  symbolic  changes  which  attend  insect  life, 
shed  a  bright  fascination  about  insect-study. 

Attracted  by  this  light  our  boys  and  girls  are  flut- 
tering about  the  homes  of  bugs  and  beetles  very  much  in 
the  same  manner  that  bugs  and  beetles  flutter  about  the 
lights  in  our  human  habitations.  Let  me,  then,  hasten 
to  answer  the  three  questions  Avhich  are  puzzling  so 
many  of  our  correspondents:  How  catch ?  how  kill?  howr 
keep?  By  far  the  best  way  to  catch  a  butterfly  is  to  find 
a  caterpillar;  keep  it  in  a  glass  box;  feed  with  leaves  of 
the  plant  on  which  you  found  it;  and  watch  day  by  day, 
as  it  changes  its  various  garments,  spins  itself  up  till 
it  bursts  or  perforates  its  cerements  and  unrolls  its 
wings,  with  every  painted  shingle  in  its  place,  its  feathers 
quite  unruifled  on  its  head,  and  its  six  legs  under  it  in 
unmutilated  perfection. 

In  addition  to  this  method  of  capture,  you  will  need 
a  light  gauze  net-  Any  boy  can  make  one  of  these  in  half 
an  hour.  Get  three-fourths  of  a  yard  o:f  silk  veiling; 
make  a  bag  of  it,  with  a  hem  around  the  top  wide  enough 
to  run  a  pipe-stem  through;  pass  a  thick  wire  through 


68  TURfiK  KINGDOMS. 

this,  and  bend  it  into  the  shape  required;  fasten  the 
ends  of  this  wire  to  a  light  stick,  five  or  six  feet  long1,  and 
your  net  is  made.  A  piece  of  a  bamboo  fishing-rod 
makes  a  good  handle.  You  may  also  need  a  stouter  net 
for  beating  about  in  the  bushes. 

A  third  method  of  capturing  moths  is  painting  trees 
with  a  mixture  of  rum,  beer,  and  sugar.  This  is  done 
in  the  early  evening,  and  later,  lantern  in  hand,  you  go 
about  from  tree  to  tree  and  tap  into  your  net  the  insects 
stupefied  by  the  sweet  but  fatal  sirup. 

A  very  successful  lure  may  be  formed  by  enclosing 
a  female  moth,  alive,  in  a  box  covered  with  gauze.  Fre- 
quently a  large  number  of  moths  may  be  taken  in  a  single 
evening  as  they  hover  about  the  imprisoned  insect. 

For  the  capture  and  conveyance  of  beetles,  etc.,  a 
good  supply  of  pill-boxes  and  vials  of  various  sizes  may 
be  carried  in  the  pockets.  Small  forceps  are  convenient 
for  picking  up  spiders,  which,  however,  are  not  now 
classed  with  true  insects. 

These  smaller  insects  may  be  dropped  at  once  into 
a  bottle  of  alcohol,  and  cared  for  on  reaching  home. 

Butterflies  are  easily  killed  by  a  sudden  and  strong 
compression  of  the  thorax-  They  are  best  carried  home 
by  folding  the  wings  back  and  enclosing  them  in  little 
three-cornered  envelopes,  not  glued,  but  merely  folded 
over  them. 

A  vial  of  chloroform  with  a  cameFs-hair  brush  at- 
tached to  the  inside  of  its  rubber  cork  is  convenient. 
A  drop  on  the  head  of  an  insect  will  render  it  insensible, 
and  it  may  be  pinned  into  your  collecting-box.  I>ut  the 
best  means  for  killing  large  insects  is  the  cyanide-jar. 

Take  a  wide-mouthed  candy-jar;  get  your  druggist 
to  lay  four  or  five  pieces  of  cyanide  of  potassium  as  large 
us  walnuts  in  it,  and  cover  them  with  a  layer  of  sawdust. 


COLLECTION  OF  INSECTS.  69 

Over  this  fit  a  piece  of  writing  paper.  Then  pour  over  all 
half  an  inch  of  liquid  plaster-of -Paris.  This  will  quickly 
harden,  forming'  a  smooth  floor,  on  which  any  insect 
when  dropped,  will  quickly  and  quietly  die. 

The  jar  must  be  labeled  poison,  and  must  be  kept 
closed  with  an  air-tight  cover. 

A  collecting-case  can  be  made  of  any  light,  shallow 
box,  by  lining  it  with  cork,  and  affixing  stra.ps  by  which 
it  may  be  slung  around  the  neck.  Compartments  may 
be  made  in  it,  for  the  cyanide  and  chloroform  bottles,  for 
forceps,  insects-pins,  envelopes,  etc.  Having  got  your 
insects  home,  they  must  be  carefully  mounted.  You 
should  have  several  'setting-boards.'  These  are  simply 
thin  boards,  grooved  at  intervals  so  as  to  admit  the  bodies 
of  moths  and  butterflies,  in  such  a  way  that  their  wings 
may  be  flat  on  the  board.  Strips  of;  cork  may  be  glued 
along  the  bottom  of  the  grooves  to  receive  the  pins. 

Pin  your  specimens  in  a  groove  of  proper  depth,  and 
spread  the  wings  carefully  with  your  forceps,  or  with 
needles  set  in  wooden  handles. 

Fasten  them  by  laying  strips  of  glass  over  them,  or 
by  pinning  strips  of  paper  across  them.  They  should 
be  allowed  to  dry  for  a  week  or  two  according  to  size. 
The  bodies  of  large  lepidoptera  should  be  brushed  with  a 
solution  of  corrosive  sublimate,  one-half  drachm;  ar- 
senic, four  grains;  alcohol,  one-half  pint.  This  is,  of 
course,  very  poisonous,  and  should  be  so  labeled  and 
treated. 

If  your  insects  have  become  dry  and  brittle,  they 
must  be  relaxed  before  you  attempt  to  mount  them. 
This  may  be  done  by  laying  them  on  wet  sand,  but 
Mr.  Neumogen,  who  has  one  of  the  largest  collections 
in  the  world,  places  such  specimens  in  a  small  tin  box 
provided  with  a  cork  bottom.  The  cork  is  dampened,  and 


70  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

the  temperature  and  moisture  is  controlled  by  a  pipe  that 
connects  the  interior  of  the  box  with  the  outside  air.  In 
four  weeks  the  most  hardened  specimen  has  never  failed 
to  relax. 

Your  insects  may  now  be  pinned  into  cedar  cases, 
made  air-tight,  and  guarded  by  lumps  of  camphor  gum. 
In  addition  to  these  precautions,  all  specimens  should  be 
subjected  to  a  rigid  quarantine  of  a  month  before  being 
transferred  to  the  collection.  Even  then  the  cases  must 
be  carefully  examined  every  month,  and  any  indications 
of  danger  must  be  regarded.  If  such  appear,  pour  a  few 
drops  of  chloroform  into  the  case,  and  close  tue  cover. 
This  will  drive  the  destructive  creatures  into  sight  from 
crank  and  cranny.  Kill  them,  preserving  one  or  two  for 
specimens,  and  renew  your  previous  precautions.  A 
simpler,  and  as  effectual  a  method,  is  to  give  your  mount- 
ed insects,  cases  and  all,  a  thorough  baking  in  the  oven, 
but  this  also  requires  great  care,  as  the  heat  will  spoil 
some  kinds. 

Mr.  E.  S.  Morse  gives  a  good  device  for  arranging  an 
insect-box  for  the  cabinet.  It  consists  of  a  light  wooden 
frame  like  a  slate-frame,  with  paper  stretched  upon  the 
upper  and  lower  surfaces.  Dampen  the  paper  and  glue 
it  to  the  frame,  and  when  the  paper  dries,  it  will  contract 
and  become  as  tight  as  a  drum-head.  Inside  the  box, 
upon  two  sides,  fasten  cleats,  and  let  their  top  edges  be 
about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  above  the  bottom.  Rest  the 
paper-covered  frame  upon  these  cleats.  The  bottom  of 
the  box  should  be  covered  with  soft  pine  to  receive  the 
points  of  the  pins.  The  space  under  the  frame  should 
be  dusted  with  snuff  and  camphor  to  keep  out  insects. 

But,  after  having  tried  many  methods,  I  have  been 
best  pleased  with  the  appearance  of  insects  that  I  have 
set  up  on  separate  papered  blocks  of  wood,  such  as  are 


COLLECTION  OF  INSECTS.  71 

used  for  minerals-  Indeed,  I  know  of  no  way  of  show- 
ing" any  of  the  smaller  specimens,  such  as  shells,  bird's- 
eggs,  insects,  and  fossils,  to  so  good  advantage  as  to  set 
each  by  itself  on  a  white  block  of  suitable  size. 

I  will  add  for  the  benefit  of  our  young-  entomologists 
a  few  hints  on  methods  of  observation  furnished  by  Prof. 
G.  Howard  Parker,  of  Cambridge,  and  Prof.  Asa  Pack- 
ard, Jr.,  of  Providence.  Every  naturalist  should  have  a 
pocket  note-book  always  with  him,  and  make  careful  en- 
tries of  such  points  as  are  here  indicated.  Suppose,  for 
example,  you  take  first,  butterflies  and  moths.  It  would 
be  an  excellent  plan  to  prepare  a  paper,  in  which  you 
might: 

1.  Give  a  brief  but  clear  description  of  the  ORDER  (LEPI- 
DOPTERA). 

2.  Give  a  careful  report  of  your  own  observations  on  any 
one  species  of  the  order.  In  this  report  should  be  included: 

A.  DESCRIPTION   of   the   insect,    accurate   as   may   be, 
and,  if  possible,  accompanied  by  drawings,  however  rude. 

This  description  should  be  made  as  follows : 

a.  If  a  moth  or  butterfly,  note:  1st.  The  form  of  the 
Antennae,  whether  pectinated  or  simply  hairy  or  spindle- 
shaped.  2d.  The  form  and  size  of  palpi,  and  length  of  tongue. 
3d.  Wings:  First  pair,  form,  shape  of  costal,  apex,  outer-edge 
veins.  Second  pair,  same.  4th.  Markings  on  wings.  5th. 
Feet,  spurs. 

b.  If  a  caterpillar,  note:  1st.    Form  of  head,  wider  or  nar- 
rower than  segment  next.    2d.    Dorsal,  subdorsal,  and  lateral 
stripes.    3d.    Position  of  tubercles,  warts  or  spines,  and  spots. 
4th.    Spiracular  line.       5th.    Supra-anal  plate;    its  form   and 
markings.    6th.    Number  of  abdominal  legs,  and  form  of  last 
pair. 

c.  Difference  in  coloration  of  the  sexes;  varieties  observed; 
probable  cause  of  such  variation,  such  as  differences  of  food, 
location  and  time  of  year. 

B.  HABITS.— Date  of  appearance  and  disappearance  of 
the  perfect  insect;  number  of  annual  broods;    localities    most 
favorable,  etc. 


72  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

C.  TRANSFORMATIONS.  —  1.      The    egg:      description, 
sketch,  duration  of  this  stage;  where  and  how  deposited  by 
the  female.    2.    Larva:  number  of  molts,  and  changes  noticed 
in  these  molts;  duration  of  each  molt,  and  entire  time  consum- 
ed in  this  stage;  food-plants  of  the  larva;  drawings.    3.    Chrys- 
alis: description;  methods  of  protection  and  fastening;  dura- 
tion of  this  stage;  special  observations.    4.    Parasites  observed 
during  these  stages  (ichneumons,  chalcid?,  etc.). 

D.  Concluding  remarks,  with  notes  drawn    from    various 
works  on  the  subject,  and  a  list  of  such  references. 

Having-  thus  worked  up  a  few  species  of  Lepidoptera, 
you  might,  to  advantage,  take  up  successively  the  other 
orders,  Hymenoptem,  Coleoptera,  Neuroptera,  etc.,  treat- 
ing them  in  the  same  way,  and  concluding  the  course  by 
a  careful  study  of  insects  as  a  class.  Then  you  can  return 
to  your  favorite  order  or  family,  and  carry  on  your 
special  researches  and  observations,  minutely  and  intel- 
ligently. 

We  add  the  following  Department  directions  for 
sending  insects  by  ma-il: 

All  inquiries  about  insects,  injurious  or  otherwise,  should 
be  accompanied  by  specimens,  the  more  the  better.  Such 
specimens,  if  dead,  should  be  packed  in  some  soft  material,  as 
cotton  or  wool,  and  inclose'd  in  some  stout  tin  or  wooden  box. 
They  will  come  by  mail  for  one  cent  per  ounce.  INSECTS 
SHOULD  NEVER  BE  INCLOSED  LOOSE  IN  THE  LET- 
TER. Whenever  possible,  larvae  (i.  e.,  grubs,  caterpillars, 
maggots,  etc.)  should  be  packed  alive  in  some  tight  tin  box— 
the  tighter  the  better,  as  air-holes  are  not  needed— along 
with  a  supply  of  their  appropriate  food  sufficient  to  last  them 
on  their  journey;  otherwise,  they  generally  die  on  the  road 
and  shrivel  up.  Send  as  full  an  account  as  possible  of  the 
habits  of  the  insect  respecting  which  you  desire  information; 
for  example,  what  plant  or  plants  it  infests;  whether  it  de- 
stroys the  leaves,  the  buds,  the  twigs,  or  the  stem;  how  long 
it  has  been  known  to  you;  what  amount  of  damage  it  has  done, 
etc.  Such  particulars  are  often  not  only  of  high  scientific  in- 
terest, but  of  great  practical  importance.  In  sending  soft 


COLLECTION  OF  INSECTS.  73 

insects  or  larvae  that  have  been  killed  in  alcohol,  they  should 
be  packed  in  cotton  saturated  with  alcohol.  In  sending  pinned 
or  mounted  insects,  always  pin  them  securely  in  a  box  to  be 
inclosed  in  a  larger  box,  the  space  between  the  two  boxes  to 
be  packed  with  some  soft  or  elastic  material,  to  prevent  too 
violent  jarring.  PACKAGES  SHOULD  BE  MARKED  WITH 
THE  NAME  OF  THE  SENDER. 

In  reply  to  numerous  inquiries  concerning  entomo- 
logical books,  we  recommend  to  the  general  student 
'Harris  on  Insects  Injurious  to  Vegetation,'  and  Packard's 
'Guide  to  the  Study  of  Insects;'  and  to  those  beginning 
the  study,  'Among  the  Moths  and  Butterflies,  published 
by  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  New  York  City.  The  last  is  the 
only  book  of  low  price  we  know  of  that  treats  the  subject 
so  as  to  make  it  interesting  to  the  young. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
HOW  TO  COLLECT  AND  PRESERVE  BIRDS  AND  EGGS. 

It  is  hardly  worth  while  to  make  a  collection  of 
mounted  birds.  This  requires  too  much  time  and  too 
much  room;  but,  especially,  skins  are  better  and  more 
convenient  for  study  than  mounted  birds-  Skins  may  be 
kept  in  a  cabinet  with  tightly  fitting  drawers,  with 
plenty  of  camphor,  or  insect-powder.  The  best  arm  for 
general  purposes  is  the  double-barreled,  breech-loading 
shot-gun.  Three-fourths  of  your  cartridges  should  con- 
tain small  charges  of  mustard-seed  shot,  and  the  re- 
mainder, No.  8  and  No.  4.  You  can  indicate  the  kind  of 
shot  in  each  shell  by  having  numbers  on  your  shot-wads. 
Early  morning  and  late  evening  are  the  best  hours,  and 
well-watered  and  wooded  spots  among  the  best  places 
for  collecting;  although,  as  each  bird  has  its  own  peculiar 
haunts,  the  hunter  should  cover  as  wide  a  range,  and  as 
great  a  variety  of  country,  as  possible.  As  each  speci- 
men is  secured,  it  must  be  carefully  cleansed  and 
smoothed.  Plug'  mouth,  nostrils,  vent,  and  shot-holes 
with  cotton,  and  thrust  the  bird  head  first  into  a  paper 
cone  to  keep  the  plumage  from  injury. 

A  fish-basket  is  excellent  to  carry  the  birds  home. 
Before  skinning,  each  bird  should  be  measured,  to  de- 
termine the  total  length,  and  the  spread  of  wings.  Note, 
also,  the  color  of  the  eyes,  bill,  and  feet,  as  they  may 
fade.  Enter  all  these  memoranda  in  a  note-book,  and 
also  on  the  specimen  label.  Add  also  date  of  capture,  sex, 
locality,  name  of  collector,  etc. 


COLLECTION  OF  BIRDS  AND  EGGS.  75 

SKINNING. 

We  do  not  propose  here  to  attempt  a  detailed  ac- 
count of  the  taxidermist's  art,  but  the  general  mode  of 
procedure  should  be  as  follows: 

See  that  throat,  nostrils,  and  wounds  are  well  plug- 
ged with  cotton,  and  fasten  some  also  around  the  bill. 
Should  any  blood  get  on  the  feathers,  remove  it  at  once, 
with  a  damp  sponge,  and  dry  with  plaster-of -Paris.  Lay 
the  bird  on  its  back,  separate  the  breast-feathers  right 
and  left,  cut  from  the  breast-bone  to  the  vent  (not  cuttirg 
the  flesh),  and  raise  the  skin  carefully  on  each  side  as  far 
as  the  legs-  Cut  off  the  legs  at  the  knee-joints,  inside  the 
skin,  and  afterward  skin  down  to  the  tarsus,  scraping 
the  flesh  from  the  shin-bone,  but  leaving  that  bone  in 
place.  Next  skin  around  the  coccyx,  or  tail-bones  and  cut 
off  the  coccyx  inside  the  skin,  leaving  enough  flesh  to 
hold  the  feathers. 

Large  birds  can  often  be  more  easily  handled  if 
suspended,  head  downward  before  the  operator,  by  a 
strong'  hook  firmly  inserted  in  the  exposed  stump  of  the 
rump;  but  with  a  little  experience  this  becomes  unneces- 
sary. Now  carefully  strip  off  the  skin,  turning  it  back 
like  a  glove,  as  far  as  the  wings;  cut  off  the  wings,  inside 
the  skin,  at  shoulder-joint.  Skin  the  wing-bones  and 
scrape  the  flesh  from  them,  as  from  the  legs.  Skin  over 
the  head  to  the  bill,  taking  especial  care  not  to  stretch 
the  skin.  The  skin  above  the  ears  and  eyes  will  have  to  be 
detached  by  cutting.  The  eyes  must  now  be  picked  out, 
and  the  entire  base  of  the  skull  removed,  together  with 
the  brain,  and  the  flesh  between  the  jaws.  If  the  head  is 
too  large  to  be  skinned  in  this  way,  some  persons  make 
an  incision  under  the  throat,  but  a  writer  in  Random  Notes 
gives  the  better  method  of  opening  it  on  the  back  of  the 
head. 


76  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

The  skin  is  now  inside  out.  Power  with  arsenic,  or 
soap  with  arsenic  soap,  turn  it  right  side  out,  smooth  the 
plumage,  set  the  bones  of  legs  and  wings  into  proper  po- 
sition, and  the  bird  is  ready  for  stuffing.  A  pellet  of  cot- 
ton, as  large  as  the  bird's  eye,  should  "be  passed  into  the 
skin,  and  pressed  into  each  socket.  Over  this  adjust  the 
eyelids.  Wrap  a  little  cotton  around  the  leg-bones  of 
large  birds.  Insert  a  cylinder  of  cotton,  rather  smaller 
than  the  neck,  into  the  neck.  Mould  the  body-stuffing 
into  a  mass,  rather  smaller  than  the  bird's  body.  Bring 
the  edges  of  the  skin  nicely  together  over  this,  and  the 
stuffing  is  completed.  Fold  the  wings  neatly,  adjust  the 
head  and  neck,  bring  the  feet  together,  and  press  the 
bird  into  the  proper  shape.  The  usual  fault  is  too  much 
stuffing,  especially  between  the  shoulders.  For  mount- 
ing specimens  some  knowledge  of  comparative  anatomy 
is  desirable.  The  habits  of  each  bird  must  be  carefully 
studied,  as  well  as  its  peculiar  manner  of  sitting,  stand- 
ing, holding  the  head,  etc.  The  art  of  taxidermy  should 
be  carefully  studied  from  such  manuals  as  Swainson's. 
Brown's,  or  Sylvester's.  Captain  Brown's  book  is  pub- 
lished at  $1.50,  by  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  of  New  York.  It 
is  still  better  to  secure  a  few  practical  lessons  from  a  gcod 

taxidermist. 

EGG-COLLECTING. 

Hardly  any  other  branch  of  natural  history  is  so 
liable  to  abuse  as  that  pertaining  to  the  eggs  of  birds. 
There  is  something  fascinating  about  the  search  for 
them.  The  artful  devices  of  the  nest-builders  to  hide 
their  fragile  buildings  in  sequestered  places,  as  if  to  chal- 
lenge the  acuteness, alertness,  and  agility  of  boys;  the  in- 
teresting structure  of  the  nests;  and  the  rare  beauty  of 
theeggs  themselves;  have  always  proved  stronger  tempta- 
tions to  idle  plunder  than  the  average  youth  can  resist. 


COLLECTION  OF  BIRDS  AND  EGGS.  77 

Yet  great  harm  is  done  by  an  indiscriminate  robbery  of 
eggs;  and  while  oology,  if  scientifically  pursued,  is  an  en- 
tirely commendable  and  valuable  study,  yet  we  have  felt 
obliged  to  impose  certain  not  severe  restrictions  upon  its 
pursuit  in  connection  with  our  Association.  Our  attitude 
is  sufficiently  defined  by  the  following  extract  from  an 
editorial  note  in  our  official  organ. 

There  is  no  conflict  between  scientific  study  and  a  gentle 
spirit  of  mercy.  There  are,  indeed,  times  when  the  interests 
of  science  require  the  suffering,  and  even  the  death,  of  insect, 
bird,  and  beast;  but  every  true  scientist  shrinks  from  these 
necessary  occasions,  and  makes  them  as  few  as  possible. 
There  is  no  room  for  cruelty  in  any.  laboratory.  Whenever 
pain  must  be  caused  it  must  be  made  as  slight  and  as  short  as 
it  can  be  made.  Whenever  life  must  be  taken,  it  must  be 
taken  reverently,  as  a  costly  sacrifice,  and  in  the  speediest  and 
most  merciful  manner.  The  responsibility  of  drawing  the 
delicate  line  which  is  to  divide  between  the  cursed  ground  of 
cruelty  and  that  honorable  but  sorrowful  region  in  which  the 
claims  of  science  may  properly  assume  supremacy  at  the  cost 
of  pain,  has  been  forced  upon  us  by  the  requests  of  many 
persons  to  publish  notices  of  the  desired  exchange  of  bird- 
skins  for  bird-skins,  and  of  eggs  for  eggs;  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  by  the  simultaneous  and  equally  strenuous  prayers  of 
well-meaning  philozoists,  that  we  would  strictly  refuse  to 
countenance  at  all  either  the  killing  of  birds  or  the  taking  of 
eggs.  The  solution  of  the  question,  which  we  have  reached 
after  long  consideration,  is  included  in  the  following  rule, 
which  we  shall  henceforth  adopt,  with  reference  to  the  publi- 
cation of  such  exchange  notices: 

Notices  of  the  exchange  of  birds'  eggs  or  bird-skins  will 
be  printed,  provided,  the  person  shall  be  a  member  in  good 
standing  of  the  Agassiz  Association,  that  his  collections  shall 
have  been  made  in  conformity  to  the  laws  of  the  State  in 
which  he  may  reside,  and  that  the  description  of  his  material 
for  exchange  shall  be  in  terms  sufficiently  accurate  to  indicate 
that  he  is  doing  scientific  work. 

The  egg-collector's  outfit  consists  of  a  pair  of  climb- 
ers, a  suit  of  stout  clothing  (buttons  riveted  if  possible!), 


78  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

a  few  tin  boxes  full  of  cotton,  and  a  note-book.  The  best 
collectors  take  the  nest  and  a  full  set  of  eggs,  and  in  such 
case  they  need  some  sort  of  basket  in  which  to  carry 
them.  Less  damage  is  done  by  actual  students,  even  if 
they  take  the  nests  and  all  the  eggs,  than  by  mere 
robbers,  who  perhaps  content  themselves  with  stealing 
"only  one  egg  from  a  nest;"  bejcause  the  latter  are  never 
content  with  one  good  specimen,  but  continue  pilfering 
accessible  nests  until,  in  some  instances,  they  accumu- 
late hundreds  of  useless  robins'  and  bluebirds'  eggs,  and 
rob  the  orchards  of  their  melody.  Eggs  should  be  blown 
through  one  neat  hole  in  the  side,  and  for  this  purpose  a 
set  of  egg-drills  and  a  blowpipe  should  be  procured.  The 
specimens  should  be  rinsed  with  some  poisonous  solution, 
and  may  then  be  arranged  in  cabinets  in  their  proper 
nests,  or  in  compartments  filled  with  sand,  cedar  saw- 
dust, or  cotton.  The  lesson  of  their  fragility  is  one  speed- 
ily learned  by  experience.  It  is  frequently  vividly  im- 
pressed upon  the  student  while,  during  his  descent  from 
some  towering  pine  or  oak,  he  carries  his  treasures  in 
that  most  available  receptacle — his  mouth. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  caution  the  young  col- 
lector against  a  danger  that  attends  the  exploration  of 
deep  holes  in  trees,  such  as  wrens  delight  in.  Unless  the 
opening  is  evidently  large  enough  to  give  comfortable 
room  for  the  arm,  never  allow  your  arm  to  crowd  into  a 
hole  beyond  the  elbow,  or  you  may  not  be  able  to  withdraw 
it. 

With  eggs,  as  with  all  other  specimens,  tneir  value 
depends  largely  upon  the  fullness  and  accuracy  of  the 
data  accompanying  them-  Date,  location,  and  description 
of  birds,  both  male  and  female,  together  with  such  other 
facts  as  may  be  observed,  should  be  carefully  noted  at  the 
time  of  collecting,  and  to  this  should  be  added,  of  course, 
the  name  of  the  collector. 


CHAPTEE  X. 

HOW  TO  COLLECT,  STUDY.AND  PRESERVE  MINERALS. 

Geology,  the  history  of  the  earth,  the  science  of  rocks, 
fossils,  and  minerals,  is  the  most  comprehensive  of  all 
the  natural  sciences,  embracing  many  departments  or 
subordinate  sciences,  some  of  which,  like  mineralogy,  are 
often  studied  quite  independently  of  the  others. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  refer  particularly  to  the  interest 
and  practical  importance  of  this  world-wide  science;  but 
it  is  desired  to  guard  the  student  against  discouragement 
at  the  outset  by  calling  attention  to  the  fact  that,  al- 
though geology  covers  so  broad  a  field,  and  embraces  in 
every  department  almost  endless  details,  the  main  prin- 
ciples, and  the  leading  facts,  are  comparatively  few  and 
simple.  This  is  even  true  in  what  are  often  regarded  as 
the  dryest  branches  of  geology — descriptive  mineralogy 
and  lithology.  To  acquire  a  satisfactory  and  useful 
knowledge  of  these  subjects  is  not  a  vast  undertaking; 
for,  although  geologists  recognize  many  different  species 
or  kinds  of  minerals  and  rocks,  the  most  of  them  are  very 
rare  and  of  little  consequence  in  ordinary  life.  Not  more 
than  twenty  minerals,  and  as  many  rocks,  are  of  the  first 
importance,  but  these  are  very  abundant,  comprising,  so 
far  as  we  know,  at  least  999-1000  of  the  earth. 

These  few  common  minerals  and  rocks  are,  in  one 
sense,  among  the  most  familiar  objects  of  every-day  life, 
for  they  are  in  the  fields,  walls,  houses,  and  streets; 
and  yet  bow  few  persons  know  anything'  definite  about 
them.  There  is  no  other  direction  in  science  where 
so  little  work  will  make  the  student  master  of  so  much 
ground. 


80  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

It  is  a  great  advantage  if  the  study  of  minerals  can 
be  preceded  or  accompanied  by  at  least  a  little  work 
in  chemistry;  and  some  knowledge  of  zoology  and  botany 
is  indispensable  to  good  work  in  palaeontology,  or  the 
study  of  fossils;  while  other  branches  of  geology  make 
large  demands  upon  physics,  mechanics,  etc.  In  short, 
a  competent  geologist,  in  the  broadest  sense,  must  be  a 
cultured  person  in  the  whole  field  of  natural  scieuce. 

The  golden  rule  in  natural  science  is  to  study  natural 
objects  rather  than  books;  and  it  is  especially  important 
that  this  rule  should  be -observed  in  the  study  of  minerals 
and  rocks.  The  most  perfect  descriptions  and  pictures 
cannot  take  the  place  of  the  actual  specimens  or  ex- 
amples, but  all  knowledge  of  any  real  or  permanent  value 
must  be  obtained  first  hand,  i.  e.,  must  be  based  upon 
personal  observation.  Books  are,  of  course,  useful  for 
reference  and  to  supplement  real  learning  or  observation; 
but  the  student  should  regard  them  merely  as  auxiliary, 
and  never  make  them  his  main  reliance. 

When  we  must  resort  to  books,  it  is,  of  course,  im- 
portant to  have  the  best;  and  the  list  of  works  relating 
to  the  different  departments  of  geology,  which  may  be 
found  on  another  page,  will  aid  students  in  making 
a  wise  selection. 

Since  the  student's  main  reliance  should  be  upon 
nature,  and  not  upon  books,  the  collection  of  speci- 
mens becomes  in  most  cases  a  very  important  prelimi- 
nary to  good  work  in  geology.  And  students  and  chap- 
ters are  requested  to  bear  in  mind  Professor  Agassiz's 
excellent  advice  to  the  effect  that  the  most  valuable 
work  a  society  can  do,  is  to  make  a  complete  collection 
and  thorough  study  of  the  specimens  found  near  its 
own  home.  Do  not  let  visions  of  sparkling  crystals 
or  gleaming  ores  from  distant  States  blind  you  to  the 


COLLECTION  OF  MINERALS.         81 

value  and  importance  of  the  sanldstone  under  your 
feet,  the  slate  on  your  roof,  the  coal  in  your  cellar,  or 
the  pebbles  by  the  brook. 

Geological  collecting1  is  comparatively  easy,  since 
minerals  and  fossils  do  not  have  to  be  pursued  over 
brier  and  brake,  like  butterflies,  nor  are  they  perish- 
able in  nature.  They  have  not  to  be  pressed  nor  kept  in 
alcohol.  Their  chief  drawback  is  that  rocks  are  hard 
and  heavy.  The  former  difficulty  is,  however,  readily 
overcome  by  a  geological  hammer,  and  the  latter  by  a 
stout  bag  and  a  strong1  arm  to  carry  it,  although  it  is 
better  if  the  bag  can  be  suspended  by  a  strap  from 
the  shoulder. 

Hammers  of  various  shapes  and  sizes  are  useful  in 
breaking1  and  trimming  specimens;  but  the  best  hammer 
for  general  use  is  one  weighing  from  one  to  two  pounds, 
with  a  square  head  at  one  end,  and  tapering  to  a  chisel- 
like  edge  at  the  other.  The  square  head  is  used  for 
breaking  and  trimming  hard  masses,  while  the  chisel- 
edge,  which  should  be  at  right  angles  to  the  handle,  is 
well  adapted  for  splitting  shales,  schists,  etc-,  and  for 
digging  out  crystals  and  fossils.  A  cold-chisel  or  some 
similar  sharp  pointed  iron  is  also  very  useful  for  these 
purposes. 

The  extraction  of  fossils  from  the  rock  is  often  an 
admirable  test  of  patience.  If  the  rock  be  hard  and 
crystalline,  try  to  get  off  a  chip  containing  the  fossil, 
take  it  home,  and  then  with  a  small  (tack)  hammer 
carefully  clean  it.  For  the  more  delicate  fossils,  like 
criiioids,  various  sharp  instruments  like  files  or  broken 
dentists'-tools  are  often  useful.  Note  the  essential 
points  in  your  note-book,  and  sketch  the  fossil.  If  you 
break  it,  clean  the  pieces,  and  stick  them  together  with 
mucilage  in  which  a  few  drops  of  glycerine  have  been 


82  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

incorporated.  (The  glycerine  prevents  the  gum  be- 
coming brittle  when  dry.) 

The  beautiful  ferns,  the  curious  friiits,  the  ornate 
Siyillaria,  and  the  bewitching  glimpse  given  us  of  a 
subtropic  jungle,  characterizing  the  coal-formation  and 
its  flora,  present  a  difficulty  to  the  collector.  Most  of 
the  fossils  are  on  shale — and  that  crumbles  to  pieces 
so  easily  when  it  gets  dry.  To  prevent  this,  dry  it 
thoroughly,  and  put  it  in  a  shallow  vessel  (pie  plate)  in 
which  is  some  paraffin.  Allow  the  whole  arrangement 
to  stand  on  a  warm  plate  until  the  paraffin  is  melted, 
when  the  shale  will  soak  it  up,  and,  on  cooling,  be  much 
more  able  to  stand  the  risks  of  tranportation. 

A  Caution. — Find  out  first  from  the  specimen  itself 
what  the  genus  is — be  it  animal  or  plant.  Then  put  on 
a  provisional  label,  like  this: 


FAMILY  

Genus  

Specific  name. 
Collected  by.. 

Named  by 


Don't  stick  the  label  on  the  fossil,  but  stick  on  a 
small  bit  of  paper  with  a  number  on  it  to  correspond 
with  your  label-  If  you  -have  your  labels  printed,  tell 
the  printer  to  put  tliem  in  nonpareil.  We  will  suppose 
you  have  found  a  fossil;  and  on  turning  to  the  pictures 
in  the  Geology  you  find  it  looks  like  Rynclionella  capax, 
or  like  Spirifer  Niagarensis,  or.,  it  may  be,  Orthis  Ij/tur. 
You  have  here  not  only  (3)  genera,  but  (3)  families 
represented.  Now,  which  is  it?  Reference  to  Dana's 
handbook,  page  170,  tells  you  that  the  families  are  dis- 
tinguished by  differences  of  internal  structure,  that 
your  specimen,  being  solid,  gives  no  information  about. 
Turn  to  Macfa.rlaue's  Geological  Railroad  Guide,  and 


COLLECTION  OF  MINERALS.  S3 

you  will  find  there  the  geology  of  the  nearest  station 
given.  Discuss  in  your  meeting  why  it  should  be  an 
Orthis  rather  than  a  Rymchonella,  and  if  still  fairly 
puzzled  send  it  to  a  specialist  for  name.  Then  destroy 
your  provisional  label,  and  put  the  same  number  on 
your  final  one.  Label  nothing  by  guesswork.  Take  noth- 
ing for  granted,  and  don't  send  imperfect  specimens, 
or  too  many  kinds  at  once,  for  names  to  those  willing 
to  aid  you. 

In  collecting  rocks  we  should  be  careful  to  get 
clear,  unweathered  specimens,  and,  so  far  as  practi- 
cable, carefully  trim  them  to  a  uniform  shape  and  size. 
For  private  or  chapter  collections,  the  specimens  should 
be  about  2  1-3x3  or  3x4  inches  square,  and  one-half  inch 
to  one  inch  thick.  The  beginner  will  be  surprised  to 
find  how  much  this  careful  selection  and  trimming  of 
specimens  adds  to  their  appearance  and  value. 

Specimens  that  are  worth  collecting  are  worth  a 
little  pains  to  keep  them  in  good  condition.  Although 
minerals  are  hard,  yet  they  are  very  easily  injured  or 
even  ruined  by  rough  handling,  and  especially  by 
knocking  or  rubbing  against  one  another.  When  start- 
ing on  a  collecting-trip,  put  a.  number  of  old  newspa- 
pers in  your  bag,  and  then  let  each  specimen  be  secure- 
ly wrapped  as  soon  as  collected.  Small  wooden  or 
pasteboard  boxes  are  almost  indispensable  for  fragile 
crystals  and  fossils.  After  each  collecting-trip,  your 
specimens  should  be  carefully  labeled,  either  by  num- 
bers referring  to  a  catalogue,  or  by  cards  containing 
the  name,  locality,  etc.  The  record  of  the  locality  is 
particularly  important,  since  many  kinds,  especially  of 
rocks,  are  rendered  almost  valueless  by  the  loss  of  this 
interesting  fact.  Geological  specimens  will  not  bear 
huddling  together;  but  their  appearance  is  greatly  en- 


84  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

hanced  by  placing  each  by  itself  in  a  neat  pasteboard 
tray,  or  on  a  block  of  wood;  and  the  label  can  then 
be  attached  to  the  beveled  edge  of  the  block. 

As  just  explained,  the  ideal  plan  is  for  the  student 
to  collect  his  own  specimens;  and  it  may  be  fairly 
said  that  for  the  collector  specimens  have  an  interest 
and  value  beyond  what  they  would  otherwise  possess. 
It  is,  however,  often  impracticable  to  obtain  suitable 
material  in  this  way  for  a  general  course  of  study. 
The  best  plan  then  is,  not  to  fall  back  on  the  books 
and  dispense  with  the  specimens,  but  to  buy  them. 
Those  desiring  to  purchase  minerals,  rocks  or  fossils, 
will  do  well  to  send  to  Prof.  W.  O.  Crosby,  Boston 
Society  of  Natural  History,  Boston,  Mass.,  for  a  cata- 
logue of  specimens  and  collections. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

ARCHAEOLOGY  AND  ETHNOLOGY. 

Perhaps  we  can  help  our  students  in  this  most 
interesting"  department  in  no  better  way  than  by  pre- 
senting- to  them  the  following  letter  from  our  late 
specialist,  Mr.  Hilborn  T.  Cresson,  of  Philadelphia: 

From  what  I  can  learn  upon  the  subject,  many  of  our  A.  A. 
chapters  have  collections  of  ethnological  and  archaeological 
specimens,  such  as  bones  from  the  shell-heaps  and  mounds, 
stone  arrow-points  from  the  graves  of  Tennessee,  and  surface 
'finds,'  stone  axes,  pipes,  pottery,  etc.  It  would  certainly  be 
a  great  source  of  satisfaction,  if  all  the  chapters  of  the  A.  A. 
throughout  North  and  South  America  would  unite  in  preserv- 
ing archaeological  specimens,  especially  those  of  Tennessee, 
throughout  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  Florida — in  fact,  all 
our  western  and  southern  States.  Specimens  collected  should 
be  carefully  labeled  with  precise  details  as  to  where 
found,  whether  in  aboriginal  mounds,  cemeteries,  graves,  or 
surface  of  ground;  by  whom  found  and  date  of  find- 
ing, occupation  of  person  finding  same,  etc.  (this  last 
question  indicates  whether  it  be  a  professional  dealer, 
picker,  farmer,  school-boy,  or  A.  A.  member;  specimens 
obtained  by  the  three  last  named  being  much  more  reliable, 
we  think,  than  those  handled  by  the  two  former— especially  if 
the  object  be  of  importance  and  rarity).  Archaeological 
specimens  that  are  rough  and  uncouth  in  appearance  and 
rudely  made,  should  not  be  thrown  aside  for  this  reason.  They 
are  of  great  value,  especially  if  from  a  mound  or  cemetery; 
nor  should  the  smallest  fragment  of  pottery  be  thrown  aside. 
They  all  help  to  unravel  the  mystery  about  those  beings  who 
made  them  and  have  long  since  crumbled  into  dubt.  Photo- 
graphs (THOSE  MADE  BY  MEMBERS  PREFERRED)  of 
rare  specimens  in  private  collections  are  very  valuable,  IF 
MINUTE  DETAILS  in  regard  to  them  be  preserved— very 
frequently  upon  the  decease  of  their  owner  they  are  scattered 
to  the  four  winds  by  the  auctioneer's  hammer,  never  to  be 
reunited.  They  are  in  this  case  of  very  little  value  for  scien- 


8G  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

tific  study;  the  photographs,  however,  show  them  as  they  were 
before  separation. 

Specimens  from  one  locality  should  be  kept  together.  For 
example,  if  a  shell-heap  is  examined  (in  exploration  of  a  shell- 
heap  it  SHOULD  BE  DONE  IN  SECTIONS.so  that  the  EXACT 
DEPTH  AT  WHICH  EACH  OBJECT  IS  FOUND  CAN  BE 
NOTED.  Samples  should  be  taken  at  the  TOP,  MIDDLE 
AND  BOTTOM  OF  THE  HEAP,  so  as  to  show  the  actual  con- 
dition of  the  material  forming  it;  and  in  order  to  study  the 
fauna  of  the  time  the  heap  was  being  formed,  large  collections 
should  be  made  of  the  different  shells  found  in  it,  bones  of  fish, 
reptiles,  birds  and  mammals),  the  articles  collected  from  that 
particular  heap  should  be  kept  together— not  distributed  at 
random  throughout  a  cabinet.  The  object  of  this  is  obvious, 
from  the  fact  that  it  shows  the  exact  condition  of  the  people 
who  formed  the  heaps,  the  implements  they  used,  the  food 
they  ate,  and  the  animals  that  lived  at  that  period.  Specimens 
from  mounds  and  graves  should  be  treated  in  a  like  manner. 
Members  should  never  explore  mounds,  graves  or  cemeteries 
of  aboriginal  man  unless  they  be  conducted  by,  or  under  the 
direction  of,  an  Agassiz  Association  specialist,  or  other  pro- 
fessional archaeologist,  who  may  direct  the  operation  in  a 
proper  manner.  Much  harm  has  been  done  in  this  way  by 
ignorant  persons.  NEVER  OPEN  A  MOUND  BY  THE  OLD 
METHOD  OF  DIGGING-  A  HOLE  IN  THE  CENTER.  The 
earth  should  be  removed  section  by  section.  We  will  furnish 
details  to  chapters  that  may  desire  them  in  cases  where  im- 
mediate action  is  necessary,  as  in  exploring  a  mound  that  has 
to  be  removed  or  leveled.  Photographs  of  mounds,  earth- 
works, and  cemeteries,  with  careful  drawings,  surveys,  meas- 
urements, and  maps  (of  their  exact  position)  are  of  grea^  ^  alue. 
If  the  mounds  have  been  excavated,  detail  should  be  obtained 
as  to  methods  pursued  by  the  excavators  in  opening  them,  the 
articles  found  therein,  and  what  became  of  them.  If  the  pos- 
sessors thereof  will  not  present  them  to  the  Association,  to  be 
forwarded  to  some  museum  and  preserved  for  the  interests  of 
science,  photographs  should  be  taken,  and  endeavors  made  to 
induce  wealthy  citizens  to  purchase  and  present  them  to  some 
museum  in  good  standing.  The  Peabody  Museum  of  Archae- 
ology and  Ethnology  at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  Frederick 
Ward  Putnam,  Esq.,  Professor  and  Curator,  is  probably  the 
best  conducted  museum  of  this  kind  in  America.  If  the  Indian 


ARCHAFJOLOGY  AND  ETHNOLOGY.  87 

grave,  burial-mound,  or  cemetery  remain  intact,  the  owners 
of  the  property  on  which  it  has  been  discovered  ought  to  be 
applied  to  at  once  for  the  sole  right  to  excavate  it  in  the 
interests  of  science.  This  will  prevent  the  wanton  destruction 
of  Indian  mounds  by  dealers  in  (so-called)  Indian  relics.  We 
earnestly  appeal  to  all  the  Agassiz  Association  chapters  to 
defeat,  if  possible,  the  desecration  of  Indian  mounds,  cemeter- 
ies, and  graves  by  the  vandals  referred  to.  Let  our  chapters 
get  up  entertainments  and  form  a  fund  for  their  purchase  and 
presentation.  Old  and  young  should  respond  cheerfully  to 
this  suggestion.  In  this  way  aboriginal  monuments  that  are 
fast  disappearing  before  the  onward  march  of  civilization  can 
be  preserved,  at  least  until  a  scientific  examination  can  be 
made  of  their  contents. 

Some  day,  I  hope,  the  Agassiz  Association  Museum  will  be 
formed,  and  among  its  various  departments  may  that  of 
ethnology  and  archaeology  be  pushed  with  vigor.  If  I  am  not 
misinformed  you  have  already  dreamed  of  this.  Assuredly 
some  well-filled  pockets  will  aid  the  great  work  that  you  are 
directing. 

More  especially  since  the  publication  of  "The  Swiss  £ross" 
do  inquiries  reach  me  from  the  Western  States  and  South 
America.  Many  of  these  are  from  persons  who  seem  deeply 
interested  in  early  man,  and  his  descendants  who  occupy  our 
reservations  still  wander  over  certain  districts  of  the  far 
north,  or  dwell  in  the  forests  of  South  America.  Quite  fre- 
quently I  have  packages  forwarded  to  me  from  elderly  persons 
for  classification  and  examination.  In  many  cases  the  speci- 
mens are  supposed  to  have  been  found  under  circumstances 
that  verge  on  the  marvelous.  These  are  generally  purchases 
from  unreliable  dealers  in  antiquities,  and  are  not  'finds'  made 
by  themselves;  hence  they  are  apt  to  prove  counterfeits, 
which  at  the  present  time  are  made  in  large  quantities 
throughout  the  Western  and  Middle  States,  I  deem  it 
necessary  to  warn  all  our  chapters  against  notorious  gangs 
of  counterfeiters  (of  mound  specimens)  that  exist  in  Ohio, 
others  in  Illinois  and  Kentucky,  and  last,  but  not  least,  against 
those  clumsy  'antiques'  that  emanate  from  the  MARBLE 
YARDS  OF  PHILADELPHIA. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
WHAT  TO  DO  IN  THE  WINTER.    WORK  FOR  THE  CITY. 

No  question  has  been  more  frequently  repeated 
than  "What  can  be  done  in  the  Winter?" 

First  of  all  may  be  mentioned  the  study  of  min- 
erals. What  can  be  more  delightful  than  to  analyze 
with  blowpipe  and  test-tube  the  specimens  gathered 
from  cliff  and  quarry  during  the  open  months.  Direc- 
tions for  this  work  are  to  be  found  in  any  of  the  manuals 
referred  to  in  the  list  of  books,  which  is  given  on  an- 
other page. 

Chemistry  is  another  science  which  can  be  pursued 
in  winter  as  well  as  in  summer,  and  as  it  lies  at  the  base 
of  nearly  all  the  other  natural  sciences,  students  in 
other  departments  may  well  devote  the  time  when  they 
are  debarred  by  weather  from  outdoor  work  to  its  culti- 
vation. In  fact,  however,  there  is  hardly  a  branch  of 
natural  history  that  cannot  be  followed  even  out  of- 
doors  for  many  days  of  every  month  in  the  year. 

One  of  the  things  which  those  who  live  in  cities 
can  do,  it  to  make  drawings  of  snow-crystals,  to  ex- 
change for  specimens  more  easily  found  in  the  country. 
Catch  the  crjrstals,  as  they  fall,  on  a  dark  cloth.  Look 
at  them  through  a  magnifying-glass,  if  you  have  one, 
and  draw  as  well  as  you  can  from  memory.  Photograph 
them  if  possible. 

To  have  these  crystal  pictures  valuable,  we  must 
notice  the  conditions  which  prevail  as  the  snow  faJls. 
Look  at  the  thermometer  and  barometer,  and  note  the 
strength  of  the  wind,  as  well  as  the  date.  Attention 
to  these  details  will  enable  us  to  decide  whether  or  not 


WORK  FOR  THE  CITY.  89 

snow-crystals  vary  in  shape  with  heat  and  cold  and 
density  of  air,  etc- 

The  frost  pictures  on  the  window,  too,  are  well 
worthy  your  attention.  Each  form  is  fashioned  accord- 
ing1 to  some  fixed  law;  yet  so  varied  are  the  beautiful 
shapes,  so  intricate  the  crystalline  curves  and  angles, 
that  it  requires  much  patient  study  to  trace  the  opera- 
tion of  cause  and  effect.  Many  of  our  members  have 
photographic  outfits,  and  they  could  render  valuable 
service  by  securing"  pictures  of  these  fairy  frost-pencil- 
lings. 

Indoors,  again,  the  microscope  reveals  a  world  rival- 
ling in  beauty  and  infinity  of  extent  the  outer  world 
that  is  open  to  our  unaided  vision;  and  this  instru- 
ment can  be  used  in  the  city  as  well  as  in  the  country, 
and  in  winter  as  well  as  in  summer. 

Another  thing  you  of  the  city  can  do,  is  to  suspend 
seeds  in  bottles  over  water,  and  study  the  growth  of 
different  plants  as  the  tiny  leaves  unroll:  Make  neat 
cases  also  for  insects  or  minerals,  and  exchange  them 
for  specimens.  Collect  specimens  of  veneers  from 
cabinet  and  piano  shops,  and  prepare  them  for  ex- 
change. Nearly  all  the  grains,  and  nuts,  and  spices, 
and  fabrics,  and  seeds,  and  barks,  and  woods,  and 
metals,  can  be  found  in  city  shops,  and  for  these  you 
can  readily  get  anything  you  may  wish  from  the  coun- 
try. Again,  many  of  you  have  books  or  pictures  on 
subjects  of  natural  history  which  are  old  to  you,  but 
which  some  member  of  the  Association  would  be  very 
thankful  to  get.  These  also  can  be  exchanged. 

Besides  these  things,  we  need  only  mention  birds' 
nests  abandoned  in  leafless  trees,  cocoons  suspended 
from  bushes  and  tucked  away  under  fence-rails,  beetles 
burrowing  in  old  stumps,  sections  of  wood  and  bark, 


90  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

cones  and  buds,  to  show  that  there  is  plenty  of  outdoor 
work,  even  in  winter;  while,  indoors,  cabinets  are  to  be 
built,  specimens  determined,  labeled,  and  arranged, 
philosophical  experiments  performed,  books  read,  let- 
ters written,  exchanges  made. 

Many  of  our  members  capture  caterpillars  and 
others  insects  in  the  fall,  and  keep  them  during1  the 
winter,  watching"  their  curious  habits  and  wonderful 
transformations,  as  is  detailed  in  the  following-  bright 
letter: 

DEAR  MR.  BALLARD:— I  have  been  reading:  "Insect 
Lives."*  It  is  the  nicest  book  I  have  ever  read.  I  could  read  a 
whole  library  full  of  books  just  like  that.  I  am  getting  on 
famously  with  my  collection.  But  one  of  my  caterpillars  does 
act  so  funny.  It  is  the  caterpillar  of  that  moth— the  Poly- 
phemus, is  it?  I  found  him  two  days  ago  and  put  him  in  my 
box.  He  seemed  very  sluggish.  If  I  turned  him  over,  he 
would  very  plowly  turn  himself  over  back  again;  but  I  thought 
perhaps  he  was  going  to  change  his  skin,  or  something  like 
that.  The  next  afternoon  I  looked  at  him,  and  there  were 
hundreds  of  little  worms  coming  out  of  his  skin  (horrid 
things!).  I  was  going  to  burn  him  up,  but  decided  to  wait  and 
see  what  would  come  of  it.  The  next  morning  nearly  all  of 
them  had  changed  into  little  grayish-brown  cocoons,  and 
tumbled  off,  leaving  tiny  holes  in  his  skin,  and  now  he  is  twist- 
ing about  like  a  good  fellow.  ANNIE  BOSWORTH. 

The  sequel  to  this  tragedy  was  told  in  a  subsequent 
letter  from  the  same  writer. 

"My  poor  worm  died  the  day  after  I  wrote  you,  and  a  day 
or  two  after  the  little  rice-houses  began  to  open,  and  hundreds 
of  tiny  flies  came  out  from  them,  but  I  threw  them  away  in 
disgust." 


*The  latest  edition  of  INSECT  LIVES  in  entitled  "Among 
the  Moths  and  Butterflies,"  and  is  published  at  $1.25  by  G.  P. 
Putnam's  Sons,  N.  Y.  City,  It  is  the  best  book  for  beginners 
in  Entomology. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

EXCHANGING. 

One  of  the  pleasantest  features  of  the  A.  A.  is  the 
exchange  of  specimens  between  members.  Some  hints 
may  be  helpful.  When  you  have  duplicates  which  you 
wish  to  exchange,  decide  as  nearly  as  possible  what  you 
wish  in  return.  Send  your  request,  tersely  written 
to  the  President.  Our  magazine  is  printed  some  time 
before  it  is  issued,  so  that  you  should  send  any  notice 
at  least  a  month  before  you  wish  to  see  it  in  print.  In 
preparing  packages  for  the  mail,  be  sure  that  you  en- 
close the  specimens  in  a  box  sufficiently  strong  to  with- 
stand the  frequent  concussions  of  the  way,  and  so 
securely  wrapped  and  tied  that  it  shall  not  become  un- 
done. About  one-third  of  the  packages  received  here  are 
broken  on  the  way.  Minerals  should  be  separately 
wrapped  in  paper  or  cloth  before  being  put  into  the  box. 
Eggs  may  safely  be  sent  in  auger-holes  bored  in  little 
blocks  of  wood.  Flowers  and  ferns  should  be  carefully 
inclosed  between  strong  sides  of  pasteboard.  Insects 
should  be  pinned  with  the  utmost  possible  strength  and 
care  into  boxes  thoroughly  lined  with  cork,  very  strong, 
light,  and  doubly  wrapped.  Beetles  and  bugs  may  be 
sent  in  cotton,  like  eggs.  Always  prepay  postage  in  full. 
Inclose  no  writing  in  the  package  (except  the  labels  of 
the  specimens,  which  are  allowed),  but  never  neglect 
to  accompany  the  package  with  a  postal  card  or  letter, 
describing  contents,  stating  from  whom  it  comes,  and 
rehearsing  what  you  expect  to  receive  in  exchange.  It  is 
often  utterly  impossible  to  determine  the  sender  of  a 
package,  or  to  know  what  to  send  in  return.  Tie  the 
parcel  strongly,  but  do  not  seal  it,  unless  you  wish  to 


92  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

pay  letter  postage.  One  or  two  fine  specimens  are  always 
more  acceptable  than  several  inferior  ones.  No  propo- 
sitions for  exchange  can  be  noticed  in  our  paper,  except- 
ing from  subscribers,  or  from  members  of  the  A.  A. 
For  this,  among  other  reasons,  it  is  necessary  for  us  to 
keep  a  full  register  of  all  members,  and  names  of  new 
members  should  always  be  sent  us  at  once- 

Whenever  any  one  writes  proposing  an  exchange, 
courtesy  requires  him  to  enclose  a  stamp  for  reply. 
Kequests  of  this  nature  should  always  be  promptly  an- 
swered. Aim  to  give  rather  more  than  you  receive.  A 
grasping  spirit  of  trade  is  utterly  foreign  to  the  nature 
of  a  true  scientist. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

REPORTS  FROM  CHAPTERS  AND  CORRESPONDING 
MEMBERS. 

Perhaps  the  actual  working-  of  our  Society  cannot 
better  be  illustrated  than  by  giving-  a  few  extracts  from 
the  thousands  of  letters  that  constantly  come  to  us 
from  our  friends  of  the  A.  A.  We  shall  select  such  as 
contain  practical  suggestions  for  work;  and  the  first 
shows  what  may  be  done  in  the  way  of  outdoor  ex- 
cursions: 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

I  write  to  inform  you  of  the  organization  of  a  chapter  of 
the  Agassiz  Association  in  Salt  Lake  City.  Several  of  us  boys 
have  been  more  or  less- interested  in  natural  history  for  some 
time,  and  when  we  read  about  the  A.  A.,  we  thought  that  it 
was  just  what  we  wanted.  So  on  Wednesday,  August  2nd, 
four  of  us  met  and  organized  the  chapter. 

We  have  already  taken  several  tramps  after  specimens. 
On  the  first  one  we  found  the  terminal  moraine  of  a  glacier, 
and  our  honorary  member  gave  us  a  long  description  of 
glaciers— the  manner  of  their  formation  and  movements,  and 
the  way  in  which  moraines  are  formed.  Our  last  trip  was  to 
a  mining  district  situated  9,300  feet  above  the  sea.  It  lasted 
five  days,  and  we  walked  sixty  miles,  and  found  many  rare 
Alpine  plants,  fossils,  minerals,  and  bugs. 

FRED.  E.  LEONARD. 

The  next  shows  how  Boards  of  Education  help  us: 

Hyde  Park,   Illinois. 

I  am  happy  to  inform  you  that  a  Natural  History  Associa- 
tion has  been  formed  in  our  High  School.  We  have  seventeen 
members,  all  of  whom  are  enthusiastic  in  their  work.  We  all 
desire  to  connect  ourselves  with  the  A.  A.  We  had  a  cabinet 
made,  which  cost  $25.00.  The  Board  of  Education  has  kindly 
advanced  the  cost  of  this,  provided  we  leave  our  collection  in 
the  building.  We  have  an  entrance  fee  of  50  cents,  in  order 
that  none  but  workers  may  join.  We  are  very  careful  about 
electing  new  members.  W.  R.  GWYNN. 


94  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

Among1  our  most  delightful  branches  are  what  we 
call  'Family  Chapters,'  in  which  the  members  of  one 
family  unite  to  form  a  little  society  and  study  to- 
gether. 

Flushing,  L.  I. 

I  want  to  tell  you  how  much  we  enjoy  our  meetings.  The 
subject  of  the  last  meeting  was  Mistletoe,  and  here  is  what  was 
said  about  it.  Mamma  said,  "The  botanical  name  of  the 
mistletoe  is  Viscum  album.  In  olden  times  it  was  thought  to 
be  poisonous, for  Shakespeare  speaks  of  the  'baleful  mistletoe.' 
The  Druids  used  it  in  religious  rites.  It  is  a  parasite,  growing 
chiefly  on  apple-trees."  Miss  Scott  had  tasted  the  berry, which 
is  sweet  and  glutinous.  She  painted  me  a  lovely  picture  of 
mistletoe  and  holly.  In  the  evenings  when  papa  is  at  home,  we 
have  music,  and,  if  possible,  pieces  bearing  on  our  subject; 
for  instance,  this  evening  we  had  a  song  entitled  "The  Mistletoe 
Bough,"  and  an  instrumental  piece,  the  "Mistletoe  Polka." 
Mamma  plays  on  the  violin,  and  I  on  the  organ  or  piano. 

From  your  friend,  F.  M.  H. 

There  is  no  limit  with  regard  to  age.  Little  chil- 
dren have,  bright  eyes. 

The  Oaks,  Tioga  Center,  N.  Y. 

I  am  nine,  and  my  sister  is  five.  We  have  examined  a 
geranium-bug,  and  it  is  beautiful.  Its  body  is  green,  and  it 
has  six  legs  that  are  clear  like  crystals.  The  antennae  are 
longer  than  the  insect,  and  are  sometimes  thrown  backward. 
It  has  a  long  beak.  The  body  has  two  horns  at  the  end.  The 
eyes  are  reddish-brown,  with  tiny  white  dots. 

ANGIE  LATIMER,  Secretary. 

Several  of  our  chapters  publish  local  papers. 

Macomb,  111. 

Progressing  nicely.  We  meet  at  each  other's  houses  every 
Friday  afternoon  after  school.  Almost  all  of  us  have  been 
collecting  insects  during  the  summer.  We  have  a  paper  read 
every  two  weeks,  to  which  we  contribute  original  articles  on 
anything  pertaining  to  natural  history.  The  chapter  is  di- 
vided into  two  parts,  and  each  part  edits  the  paper  alternately. 
We  cannot  understand  how  other  chapters  have  so  nice  club- 
rooms  and  cabinets  and  microscopes,  etc.  Where  do  they  get 
their  money?  We  like  the  A.  A.  VERY  MUCH. 

NELLIE  H.   TUNNICLIFF. 


REPORTS.  95 

The  next  letter  shows  how  to  raise  money  when  it 

is  needed. 

Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Our  report  is  somewhat  tardy,  owing  to  an  entertainment 
given  for  our  microscope  fund.  We  realized  $85,  which,  with 
the  amount  on  hand,  gives  us  about  $100  to  invest  in  a  good 
instrument.  Our  chapter  has  increased  to  twenty-four  active 
and  two  honorary  members.  Owing  to  the  lateness  of  the 
season,  we  have  collectively  made  but  one  excursion,  though 
individually  we  have  not  been  idle.  CORA  FREEMAN. 

The  girls  are  as  enthusiastic  workers  as  the  boys. 

We  are  pupils  of  the  Waco  Female  College,  Texas.  About 
four  years  ago  our  teacher  began  to  teach  us  to  love  nature, 
and,  to  keep  our  eyes  and  ears  open,  often  took  us  to  the 
woods.  Oh,  how  we  enjoyed  those  rambles!  Such  rides  to  and 
from  the  woods!  We  soon  got  a  collection,  and  determined  to 
form  a  Natural  History  Society.  We  were  deliberating  on  a 
name  when,  to  our  great  joy,  your  first  article  was  read  to 
us.  We  forthwith  adopted  the  name,  constitution,  and  by- 
laws. Since  then  we  have  varied  with  wind  and  weather,  but 
have  now  launched  upon  a  smooth-sailing  sea.  We  have 
twenty-six  members.  Some  of  our  prominent  citizens  have 
joined  us.  By  carefully  hoarding  our  dues  of  admission,  etc., 
we  have  been  able  to  buy  a  fine  microscope,  a  number  of  shells, 
and  a  few  books  and  pictures.  We  have  a  book  in  which  the 
librarian  pastes  articles  and  pictures  selected  by  some  one 
member  every  week.  We  have  another  into  which  the  secre- 
tary transcribes  the  papers  read  by  the  members  before  the 
society,  and  also  articles  of  interest  which  cannot  be  cut  from 
valuable  books.  The  President  always  appoints  one  member 
to  ask  three  questions  to  be  answered  at  the  next  meeting. 
The  correct  answers  are  copied  into  our  manuscript  scrap- 
book.  Oh,  we  have  so  much  to  say  to  you,  and  to  ask,  I 
hardly  know  where  to  begin  or  leave  off!  We  have  a  speci- 
men of  the  Texas  centipede  for  exchange,  also  a  stinging 
lizard  and  a  horned  frog.  JENNY  WISE. 

Ledyard,  Conn. 

We  live  far  apart  from  one  another,  and  on  cold  winter 
evenings  it  is  quite  an  effort  to  drive  two  or  three  miles  to  a 
meeting;  but  we  have  held  them  just  the  same,  with  hardly  an 


96  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

exception.  We  bought  a  mineral  collection,  and  studied  the 
specimens  in  order,  bringing  our  own  specimens  to  compare 
with  them.  Memorial  Day  we  celebrated  by  an  excursion  to 
Lantern  Hill.  Twenty-two  of  us  reached  the  foot  of  the  hill 
before  noon,  and  there  had  singing  and  select  readings.  After 
dinner  we  climbed  the  hill.  Orchids,  star-flowers,  and  rag- 
wort excited  remark  among  our  botanists.  We  chiselled  "  A.  A. 
'87"  upon  the  bark  of  a  chestnut  tree,  gave  three  cheers  for 
Agassiz  and  three  for  our  chapter,  and  then  wended  our  way 
to  the  silex-works.  Here  each  member  tried  to  find  a  large 
crystal,  several  succeeding  in  getting  them  as  large  as  a  man's 
thumb.  Besides  these  we  brought  home  handfuls  of  the 
powdered  silex,  which  is  sent  to  New  York  to  be  made  into 
crockery,  paint— and  SUGAR.  In  the  fall  we  hope  to  purchase 
books,  and  raise  money  for  a  course  of  scientific  lectures.  "So, 
high  in  hope,  we  wait  the  summer  through." 

MART  A.  AVERT. 

And  our  ranks  are  recruited  by  an  increasing-   num- 
ber of  adult  members,  who  are  equally  welcome. 

When  a  wide-awake  teacher  takes  hold  of  the  mat- 
ter, the  most  important  results  follow. 

About  six  months  ago,  Chapter  266  A.  A.  was  organized  in 
connection  with  my  school.  We  have  succeeded  wonderfully, 
both  in  point  of  numbers  and  collections.  We  now  number 
thirty-three,  and  the  prospects  are  that  we  shall  soon  have 
as  many  more.  The  boys,  some  twenty  or  more,  have  over  five 
hundred  specimens,  consisting  of  fossils  and  insects.  The 
girls,  of  whom  we  have  lately  added  a  dozen,  are  busily  en- 
gaged in  gathering  leaves,  roots,  and  seeds,  and,  when  they 
make  a  report,  we  shall  classify  them  botanically.  The  whole 
neighborhood  has  been  awakened  by  the  enthusiam  of  the 
boys  and  girls.  All  this  work  is  collateral;  that  is,  no  part  of 
school-time  is  taken  up.  The  County  Superintendent  of 
Schools  was  so  delighted  with  the  idea,  that  he  has  earnestly 
requested  me  to  bring  the  matter  before  our  County  Institute, 
the  third  week  in  December.  The  Institute  numbers  six 
hundred  teachers,  and  if  this  is  done,  the  A.  A.,  no  doubt,  will 
spread  in  this  county.  T.  G.  JONES, 

St.  Glair,  Schuyl.  Co.,  Pa. 


REPORTS.  97 

Another  marked  instance  is  that  of  Chapter  285, 
Greenfield,  Mass.,  as  shown  by  this  extract  from  the 
Springfield  Repub li can  : 

"Principal  Sanderson  started  a  good  deal  of  zeal  among  the 
high-school  pupils,  some  two  years  ago,  in  the  study  of  natural 
history,  and  as  a  result'  the  natural  history  society  was  or- 
ganized. The  work  began  in  a  small  way  in  the  collection  of 
birds,  plants,  and  minerals,  until  the  foundation  has  been  laid 
for  a  permanent  museum.  The  society  now  has  one  large 
case  of  stuffed  birds,  containing  150  well  preserved  specimens. 
These  are  mostly  native  birds,  caught  and  mounted  by  mem- 
bers of  the  society.  Several  in  this  way  have  become  quite 
expert  taxidermists.  The  society  belongs  to  the  Agassiz  As- 
sociation, and  by  exchanges  has  added  to  some  of  the  de- 
partments. The  local  organization  is  made  up  of  thirty-six 
members,  who  were  ambitious  enough,  last  fall,  to  hire  of 
the  town  the  old  brick  house  near  the  high-school  building, 
paying  a  rental  of  $160  a  year.  These  youthful  scientific  in- 
vestigators want  encouragement  from  the  citizens  at  large, 
and  are  going  to  ask  the  town,  at  its  annual  meeting,  to  con- 
tribute the  rent  of  this  building.  It  would  seem  that  the 
voters  could  very  properly  encourage  the  young  people  in  this 
way.  As  the  natural  history  rooms  are  located  close  to  the 
high-school  building,  it  can  very  readily  be  made  a  beneficial 
adjunct  to  the  public  schools.  Already  the  zoological  classes 
have  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  these  rooms  and  their  col- 
lections." 

Young1  men  can  accomplish  excellent  results  by 
themselves. 

New  York,  N.  Y. 

In  looking  over  the  records  of  the  year,  I  was  pleased  to 
find  that  it  has  been  a  very  prosperous  and  successful  year 
for  our  chapter.  Standing  forward  in  bold  relief,  we  find 
several  facts,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  our  evening 
entertainment,  which,  thanks  to  the  generous  help  of  our 
friends,  brought  us  a  clear  profit  of  over  one  hundred  dollars. 
Then  there  is  the  enormous  increase  in  membership,  which 
.was  greatly  due  to  the  circular  issued  by  the  executive  com- 
mittee, wherein  they  called  attention  to  the  work  carried  on  by 
the  chapter,  and  requested  gentlemen  who  might  not'be  able 


98  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

to  take  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  chapter,   to  join  us 
nevertheless,  and  thereby  encourage  the  growth  of  it. 

It  is  pleasing  to  note,  that,  although  many  strange  faces 
have  joined  us,  still  the  sociability  and  good  feeling  which  al- 
ways prevailed  among  us  have  not  abated,  but  increased.  Then 
there  was  the  celebration  of  our  fifth  anniversary,  and  at  the 
same  time  that  of  Agassiz's  birthday.  Mr.  A.  W.  Milher  sent 
us  an  invitation  to  meet  at  his  house,  our  old  headquarters, 
which  we  thankfully  accepted.  The  members  enjoyed  a  very 
pleasant  evening;  many  speeches  were  made  and  toasts 
offered.  We  have  had  during  this  year  nineteen  lectures  and 
discussions,  all  of  which  were  of  an  instructive  and  inter- 
esting nature.  A  number  of  evenings  have  been  profitably 
spent  under  "Notes  and  News,"  where  we  exchanged  our 
knowledge  of  interesting  things,  which  were  too  short  to 
make  up  a  lecture.  The  members  can  undoubtedly  recall  the 
pleasant  times  they  have  had  this  summer  at  the  chapter 
excursions  to  Mamaroneck;  the  two-days'  excursion  to  Mor- 
ristown,  and,  on  invitation  from  the  Torrey  Club,  to  Annan- 
dale,  Staten  Island;  the  moth-hunts  to  East  New  York,  which, 
I  am  sorry  to  say,  are  the  last,  because  the  woods  have  been 
sold,  arid  the  privileges  we  there  enjoyed  are  at  an  end.  Then 
the  excursions  of  the  Curator's  Committee,  to  which  all  mem- 
bers were  welcome,  to  Tarrytown  Heights,  Staten  Island, 
Perth  Amboy,  and  other  places,  were  very  pleasant.  Quite 
an  improvement  has  been  made  by  the  Curator's  Committee 
on  our  old  way  of  choosing  subjects  for  lectures,  by  preparing 
a  calendar  for  each  month,  which  is  sent  to  all  the  members, 
thus  also  giving  the  lecturer  more  time  to  prepare.  The 
Curator's  Committee  have  also  made  Tuesday  evenings  an  in- 
teresting feature.  These  evenings  are  spent  in  preparing 
specimens  for  the  cabinet,  and  usually  one  of  the  curators 
gives  a  short  lecture. 

One  Tuesday  evening  of  each  month  is  set  aside  for  what 
they  called  "exhibition  night,"  when  they  show  and  explain  the 
specimens  to  the  friends  of  members.  The  cabinet  is  appar- 
ently in  excellent  condition:  it  contains  about  twenty-two 
hundred  different  kinds  of  specimens,  also  many  miscellane- 
ous curiosities  and  many  instruments.  We  have  received 
during  the  year  numerous  kind  donations,  of  which  I  make, 
mention  of  one  hundred  specimens  from  the  disbanded  Fair- 
view  Chapter,  and  nineteen  specimens  of  marble  from  Mr. 


REPORTS.  99 

Ruckert.  A  good  variety  of  books  may  now  be  found  in  our 
library;  there  are  315  volumes  and  many  hundred  magazines 
and  pamphlets.  SECRETARY  OF  CHAPTER  87. 

,  Jamaica  Plain,  Mass. 

The  past  year  has  been  very  encouraging  to  us.  It  began 
rather  unfavorably.  We  were  obliged  to  leave  the  small  house 
in  which  we  had  met.  We  soon  found  new  quarters  in  the 
unoccupied  harness-room  of  a  barn;  but  we  had  no  means  of 
heating  it,  and  when  cold  weather  set  in  we  returned  to  our 
old  method  of  meeting  at  members'  houses.  But  we  needed 
a  place  we  could  be  sure  of,  and  at  last  decided  to  have  a  small 
house  built.  We  got  up  a  stock  company  called  the  "Agassiz 
Building  Company,"  and  issued  one  hundred  shares  of  the  par 
value  of  one  dollar.  These  were  quickly  taken  by  our  friends, 
and  a  house  12x18  feet  was  built  on  land  belonging  to  the 
father  of  one  of  our  members.  It  is  painted  yellow,  with 
olive  trimmings,  and  the  roof  is  rod.  We  pay  rent  to  the 
treasurer  of  the  company,  and  out  of  this,  at  the  end  of  the 
year,  five  per  cent,  is  paid  on  the  stock,  and  the  remainder 
is  spent  in  redeeming  the  shares,  so  that  finally  we  shall  own 
the  house.  We  have  a  flagstaff  and  a  flag.  The  flag  has  a  red 
cross  on  a  yellow  ground  with  "760"  in  white  on  the  cross  and 
a  red  "A"  on  each  side  of  the  upper  arm,  and  is  kept  flying 
when  we  have  our  meetings.  Several  of  the  meetings  of  the 
Boston  Assembly  have  been  held  at  the  Chapter  House.  We 
have  quite  a  collection  of  minerals,  and  are  adding  to  it  all 
the  time.  We  built  a  piazza  in  front  of  our  house  ourselves. 
We  opened  it  with  a  reception,  June  4,  to  which  about  seventy 
of  our  friends  came— not  all  at  once,  but  between  4.30  and  8.30. 
We  have  just  had  a  stove  put  in,  and  are  preparing  for  cold 
weather.  Wishing  the  A.  A.  success, 

C.    S.   GREENE. 

Chapters  in  which  both  sexes,  young-  and  old,  teach- 
ers and  pupils,  unite,  have  been  equally  successful. 
Witness  the  following  report  from  our  largest  chapter, 
which  has  grown  up  under  the  affectionate  care  of  Pro- 
fessor E.  Adams  Hartwell: 

Fitchburg,  Mass. 

We  organized,  as  you  know,  in  January,  1886,  our  present 
chapter  being  formed  by  the  union 'of  four  smaller  chapters 


100  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

t>reviously  existing  here,  and  on  February  5th  held  our  first 
regular  meeting.  With  one  exception,  meetings  have  been 
held  once  in  two  weeks  since  then.  Fourteen  members  were 
registered  at  our  organization,  and  since  that  time  our  growth 
has  been  steady.  We  have  registered  on  our  books  up  to  date 
one  hundred  and  forty-two  names.  At  first  our  meetings  were 
held  in  a  room  in  the  high-school  building;  but,  as  our  mem- 
bership increased,  we  felt  the  need  of  more  convenient  quar- 
ters, and  accordingly  in  September  we  hired  a  hall  on  Main 
street,  where  we  have  our  cabinets  and  hold  our  meetings. 
We  have  had  built  two  cabinets  4ft.x7ftxl2  in.  to  hold  our  large 
collections  of  minerals,  shells,  birds,  bottled  specimens,  etc. 
We  have  also  a  valuable  herbarium  of  over  five  hundred 
specimens.  In  addition  to  these  we  have  a  few  magazines 
and  pamphlets,  and  hope  some  day  to  own  a  good  library.  On 
May  28th  we  celebrate  with  appropriate  exercises  and  great 
success  the  birthday  of  Agassiz.  On  that  occasion  we  had  on 
exhibition  our  collections,  both  individual  and  collective.  At 
our  meetings  members  are  encouraged  to  bring  in  reports  of 
observations,  items  of  scientific  interest  found  in  papers  and 
magazines,  specimens  of  various  kinds,  etc.  The  principal 
exercises  of  the  evening  consist  of  essays  or  debates,  varied 
occasionally  by  the  introduction  of  a  mock  trial  or  a  mock 
senate.  Last  autumn  a  committee  was  appointed  to  investi- 
gate the  mineral  wealth  of  Rollstone,  where  the  granite- 
quarries  are,  and  they  presented  not  long  since  a  very  inter- 
esting report  of  their  researches.  In  the  spring  we  shall 
expect  a;  similar  report  from  a  committee  appointed  to  inves- 
tigate Pearl  Hill,  another  of  our  landmarks.  During  the 
spring  and  summer,  in  addition  to  our  bi-weekly  meeting,  we 
had  several  field  excursions,  when  we  took  long  walks  into 
the  country.  Early  in  July  a  picnic  was  held  at  a  lake  a  few 
miles  from  here.  While  the  greater  part  of  our  members  are 
young  people  from  the  schools,  mostly  the  high-school,  how- 
ever we  have  several  teachers  and  some  of  the  city's  mer- 
chants in  our  ranks.  NELLIE  F.  MARSHALL,  Secretary. 

Valuable  libraries  and  reading-rooms   are   founded 
in  connection  with  the  A.  A. 

Montreal,  Canada. 

We  have  a  splendid  cabinet,  six  feet  high,  three  feet  wide, 
and  two  feet  deep,  containing  forty-eight  drawers,   twenty- 


REPORTS.  101 

two  of  which  are  allotted  to  the  entomological  section.  Nine- 
teen of  these  are  already  filled  with  insects.  Our  library 
promises  to  become  a  great  success.  We  are  trying  to  secure 
a  room  in  the  St.  Antoine  School  for  a  museum  and  reading-- 
room. We  have  had  two  very  successful  field-meetings,  on 
one  of  which  prizes  were  offered  for  the  best  collection  made 
during  the  day.  I  expect  to  see  the  Montreal  branch  of  the  A. 
A.  take  a  leading  position  among  the  scientific  institutions  of 
Canada.  One  of  our  most  successful  evenings  was  spent  with 
the  microscope.  W.  D.  SHAW. 

Mr.  Shaw,  who  was  one  of  the  brightest  and  most 
promising'  young  men  in  the  Association,  died  at  the 
early  age  of  nineteen,  leaving  a  name  beloved  and  hon- 
ored wherever  it  was  known. 

Greenup,  Ky. 

The  Public  Library  formed  here  under  our  auspices  has 
now  a  thousand  volumes,  and  we  are  busy  cataloguing  them. 

MRS.  GEORGE  GIBBS. 

In  some  cases  members  take  turns  in  giving  lec- 
tures. 

We  have  given  a  parlor  concert.  C.  K.  Linson  gave  us  a 
"chalk  talk."  At  one  side  of  the  parlor  we  had  a  table  with 
some  specimens  on  it,  and  after  the  entertainment  we  invited 
our  friends  to  inspect  them.  We  have  now  money  enough  to 
get  a  cabinet.  We  have  decided  to  have  a  course  of  lectures- 
one  delivered  by  each  member  on  his  chosen  branch. 

A.   D.  PHILLIPS,   Brooklyn,   E.   D. 

A  love  for  Nature  often  affects  the  whole  character. 

But  the  best  of  all,  and  that  for  which  I  want  sincerely  to 
thank  the  A.  A.  and  its  projector,  is  the  result  of  the  work  in 
one  particular  case.  As  a  teacher,  you  know  how  difficult  it 
is  to  do  just  the  best  thing  with  a  roguish,  careless  boy,  smart, 
but  caring  little  for  study  and  with  little  or  no  will  to  work. 
Geology  last  year  and  chemistry  this  prepared  him  for  an 
elementary  course  in  determinative  mineralogy.  This  he  has 
undertaken,  under  the  guise  of  association  work,  and  to  this 
we  largely  attribute  a  most  wonderful  improvement  in  the 
boy.  Spare  moments  are  spent  in  the  laboratory  instead  of  in 
mischief;  he  has  begged  to  return  to  Latin,  which  he  had 
dropped,  and  bids  fair  to  stand  at  or  near  the  head  of  his 
class  in  that  and  other  studies.  Instead  of  lawless  lounging  at 
recess,  he  is  quiet  and  gentlemanly.  A  FRIEND. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

BOOKS  RECOMMENDED. 

(The  figures  refer  to  the  Publishers'  addresses  given 
beJow.     Books  marked  *  are  illustrated.) 

DIVISION  I. 

ASTRONOMY. 

Pub. 

Price.  No. 

G.    B.    Airy.    *Popular   Astronomy $1.10  48 

R.   S.  Ball.    "Elements  of  Astronomy 2.25  29 

C.  Flammarion.    "The  Atmosphere 2.00  36 

*  Astronomical   Myths 5.00  36 

A.  Guillemin.  *The  Heavens 4.50  47 

*The  Sun 1.50  47 

*Wonders  of  the  Moon 1.50  47 

"The  World  of  Comets 7.00  47 

J.  F.  W.  Herschell.    "Outlines  of  Astronomy 4.00  29 

D.  Kirkwood.    Meteoric  Astronomy 1.50  61 

"Comets    and    Meteors < 1.25  61 

J.  K.  Lockyer.    *Elements  of  Astronomy 1.25  29 

*Studies  in  Spectrum  Analysis 2.50  29 

6.  M.  Mitchel.    Planetary  and  Stellar  Worlds —  28 

E.  Neison.    "The  Moon  and  the  Configurations  of  its 

Surface  10.00  40 

S.   Newcomb  and  E.   S.   Holden.       *Astronomy  for 

High   Schools   2.50  38 

Briefer  course  1.25  38 

J.  A.  Westwood  Oliver.    *Astronomy  for  Amateurs  2.25  40 

R.  A.  Proctor.    *The  Orbs  Around  Us 1.75  40 

*Other   Worlds   than   Ours..-. 1.75  29 

"The    Moon 2.00  29 

*The  Universe  of  Stars 3.50  40 

*Star  Atlas   (large) 6.00  40 

*Star   Atlas    (new) 1.75  40 

*The  Poetry  of  Astronomy 2.25  40 

"The   Stars   in  their  Seasons 2.00  40 

*Myths  and  Marvels  of  Astronomy 2.25  40 

G.  W.  Plympton.    *The  Star  Finder 1.00  48 

H.  E.  Roscoe.    *Spectrum  Analysis 6.00  42 

H.  Schellin.    *Spectrum  Analysis.    Ed.  by  Huggins. 

With   maps 6.00  29 

T.  W.  Webb.    Celestial  Objects  for  Common  Tele- 
scopes    3.00  40 

BIOLOGY  AND  EVOLUTION. 

Grant  Allen.    "Flowers  and  their  Pedigrees 1.50  29 

F.  Jeffrey  Bell.    "Elements  of  Comparative  Anatomy  1.50  29 


BOOKS  RECOMMENDED.  103 

Pub. 

Price.  No. 
Edward   Clodd.    *The   Story   of   Creation.    A   plain 

story    of    Evolution 1.75  40 

Charles  Darwin.    Origin  of  Species 2.00  29 

Descent   of   Man 3.00  29 

*Movements  and  Habits  of  Climbing  Plants....  1.25  29 

*Fertilization  of  Orchids  by  Insects 1.75  29 

Cross    and    Self-Fertilization    in    the    Vegetable 

Kingdom 2.00  29 

*Different  Forms   of  Flowers  on  Plants  of  the 

Same  Species 1.50  29 

*The  Power  of  Movement  in  Plants 2.00  29 

Insectivorous  Plants 2.00  29 

Vegetable  Mould  and  Earthworms 1.50  29 

Variations  of  Animals  and  Plants 5.00  29 

R.  J.   Harvey  Gibson.    Elementary  Biology 1.75  40 

G.  B.  Howes.    An  Atlas  of  Practical  Elementary  Bi- 
ology      1.00  42 

E.  Haeckel.    *The  Evolution  of  Man.    2  vols 5.00  29 

*The  History  of  Creation.    2  vols 5.00  29 

T.  H.  Huxley  and  H.  N.  Martin.    A  Course  of  Ele- 
mentary Instruction  in  Practical  Biology 2.60  42 

T.H.Huxley.    Origin  of  Species 1.00  29 

lectures  on  Evolution 15  34 

Physical  Basis  of  Life 15  34 

A  Manual  of  the  Anatomy  of  Invertebrate  Ani- 
mals    2.50  29 

A  Manual  of  the  Anatomy  of  Vertebrate  Animals  2.50  29 

*Man's  Place  in  Nature 1.25  29 

Charles  Letourneau.    Biology.      Translated   by  W. 

Maccall 1.50  61 

J.  Lubbock.        *British    Wild    Flowers    in    Relation 

to    Insects 1.25  42 

T.  C.  Magginly.    *BiolO£?y 1.25  34 

H.  N.  Martin  and  W.  A.  Moale.    "Hand-book  of  Ver- 
tebrate Dissection.      3  parts.     Each 60  42 

H.    A.    Nicholson.       *Introduction    to   the   Study   of 

Biology   60  29 

William    Noble.      *Hours    with    a   Three-inch    Tele- 
scope   1.50  40 

T.    Jeffrey    Parker.    A    Course    of    Instruction    in 

Zootomy  2.25  42 

Geo.  J.  Romanes.    Animal  Intelligence 1.75  29 

Wm.  Sedgwick  and  E.  B.  Wilson.    General  Biology  —  38 

Biology  —  38 

Karl    Semper.    Animal    Life    as    Affected     by    the 

Natural   Conditions  of  Existence 2.00  29 

S.  H.  Stevenson.    *Boys  and  Girls  in  Biology 1.50  29 

John  Tyndall.    *Floating  Matter  in  the  Air,  in 

Relation   to   Putrefaction 1.50  29 

Robert    Wiedersheim.     Elements    of    the    Comnara- 
tive    Anatomy    of    Vertebrates.       Translated 

bv  W.  N.  Parker 3.00  42 

J.  H.  Wythe.    Easy  Lessons  in  Vegetable  Biology. ..  40  43 


104  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

CHEMISTRY. 

Pub. 

Price.  No. 

A.  H.  Allen.    Commercial  Organic  Analysis.    3  vols  —  71 
H.  E.  Armstrong.       Introduction    to    the  Study  of 

Organic    Chemistry 1.50  29 

D.  Allfield.    Medical  Chemistry 2.00  60 

H.  H.  Ballard,  Pres.  A.  A.        The  World  of  Matter  1.00  12 

Barker.    College   Chemistry 1.50  10 

C.   L.   Bloxam.    "Laboratory   Teaching 1.75  59 

F.  W.  Clarke,    The  Elements  of  Chemistry.    1884...  1.40  29 

J.  P.  Cooke,  Jr.    The  New  Chemistry 2.00  29 

W.  Crookes.    *Select  Methods  of  Chemical  Analysis  8.00  40 

Douglas  and  Prescott.    *Qualitative  Analysis.    1881,  3.50  48 

G.  E.    R.      Ellis,      introduction   to  Practical   Or- 

ganic Analysis 50  40 

G.    Fownes.    'Manual.    2.    vols 7.00  59 

Frankland  and  Japp.    Inorganic  Chemistry —  71 

C.    R.    Fresenius.    *Qualitative  Analysis 4.00  50 

*Quantitative  Analysis 7.00  50 

W.  Jago.    *Inorganic  Chemistry 75  40 

Kolbe's  *Short  Text-book  of  Inorganic  Chemistry...  2.50  40 

Lewis.    Chemical    Labels 50  48 

Carl  Lange.    *Sulphuric  Acid  and  Alkali.    1879 12.50  75 

Jean  Mace.    The  History  of  a  Mouthful    of   Bread. 

Translated  by  Mrs.   Gutty 1.75  36 

Wm.  Allen    Miller*    Introduction  to  Organic  Chem- 
istry     1.50  29 

Clifford  Mitchell,  M.D.    Dental  Chemistry 1.25  9 

Campbell  Morfitt.    'Mineral  Phosphates.    1873 20.00  74 

C.  Plattner.    *Blowpipe  Analysis.    (Translated.)  1885  5.00  48 

*Payen's  Industrial  Chemistry 10.50  40 

A.  B.  Prescott.    *Proximate  Organic  Analysis.    1887  5.00  48 

G.  W.  Rains.    *Exercises  in  Qualitative  Analysis 50  29 

Ira     Remsen.        Introduction     to     the     Study     of 

Chemistry  1.40  28 

J.  Emerson  Reynolds.    Experimental  Chemistry....  1.20  40 
Roscoe  and  Schorlemmer.      Treatise  on  Chemistry. 

6  vols 24.00  29 

V.  von   Richter.       *Organic  Chemistry.    Translated 

by  Smith   3.00  59 

F.   H.  Storer,  S.  B.    Agriculture    in    some     of     its 

Relations  with  Chemistry.    2  vols 5.00  47 

A.  Strecker.    ""Text-book  of  Organic  Chemistry 5.00  29 

F.    Sutton.    Volumetric   Analysis 5.00  59 

T.  E.  Thorpe,    'Quantitative  Chemical  Analysis 1.50  40 

Thorpe  and  Muir.    *Qualitative  Analysis  and  Labo- 
ratory Practice 1.50  29 

Chemical  Philosophy 1.50  29 

William  A.  Tilden.       Introduction  to  the    Study    of 

H.  W.  Tyler.    Entertainment  in  Chemistry 55  7 

H.  Watts.    Dictionary  of  Chemistry.    An  Encyclo- 
paedia,     9  vols 75.00  40 

R.  Wagner.    *Chemical  Technology 5.00  29 

Ad.  Wurtz.    The  Atomic  Theory 1.50  29 


BOOKS  RECOMMENDED.  105 

Pub. 
Price.      No. 

Wanklyn  and  Chapman.    Water  Analysis.    1876 75       74 

(N.B.— The  best  general  book  on  Chemistry  is  Fownes's 
Manual.  Wag-ner  gives  an  excellent  description  of  chemical 
processes  as  applied  to  technical  arts.  For  the  laboratory, 
Fresenius's  books  are  the  standard  guides,  but  the  works  of 
Douglas  and  of  Prescott  are  also  good,  and  more  recent.  For 
a  beginner,  Cooke's  'New  Chemistry,'  and  Barker's  'College 
Chemistry,'  are  excellent.  The  latter  has  descriptive  chem- 
istry last,  and  hence  the  last  part  should  be  read  first  by  the 
tyro.  The  first  part  is  a  concise  and  accurate  synopsis  of 
chemical  theory  as  now  understood,  and  the  student  should 
read  it  carefully  as  he  is  able  to  understand  it.) 

GEOLOGY  AND  PETROGRAPHY 

Louis  Agassiz.    Geological  Sketches.    2  vols.,   each.. $1.50  19 
E.  B.  Andrews.    Elementary  Geology  of  the  Interior 

States.    432    illustrations    1.75  55 

C.  R.  Boyd,  M.  E.  *Resources  of  Southwest  Virginia  3.00  50 

Bernhard  von  Gotta.  Rocks  Classified  and  Described  5.00  40 

James  Croll.    *Climate  and  Time 2.50  29 

W.  O.  Crosby.      Common  Minerals  and  Rocks,  40c.; 

cloth,  60c.    Fifty  labeled  specimens 2.03  16 

*The  Geological  History  of  Plants 1.75  29 

J.  D.  Dana.    Geological  Story  Briefly  told 1.35  39 

Text-book   of   Geology 2.30  39 

Manual   of   Geology 4.45  39 

J.   W.  Dawson.    Acadian  Geology 6.50  42 

Story  of  the  Earth  and  Man —  — 

Archibald    Geikie.       Physical    Geography    (Science 

Primer)    45  29 

Class-book  of  Physical  Geography 1.10  42 

Geology  (Science  Primer.) 45  29 

Class-book    of    Geology 2.60  42 

Text-book  of  Geology 7.50  42 

Outlines  of  Field   Geology 1.00  42 

J.    Geike.    Great   Ice    Age 2.50  29 

Gilbert.    Lake    Bonneville — •  3 

H.  C.  Hovey.    Celebrated  American  Caverns 2.00  54 

E.  Hull.    Building  and  Ornamental  Stones 3.50  42 

T.  S.  Hunt.    Mineral  Physiology  and  Physiography.  5.00  15 

Alpheus    Hyatt.    Pebbles 15  18 

J.    W.    Judd.    'Volcanoes 2.00  29 

Charles  Kingsley.      Town   Geology 15  34 

Joseph  Le  Conte.    Compend  of  Geology 1.40  29 

Elements    of   Geology 4.00  29 

J.  Macfarlane.    *Coal  Regions  of  America 5.00  29 

*  American  Gpological  Railway  Guide 1.50  29 

G.  A.  Mantell.     Petrifactions  and  their  Teachings..  2.50  61 

H.  A.  Nicholson.    Manual  of  Paleontology 76  29 

Life  History  of  the  Earth 2.00  ?9 

John   Phillips.    Manual   of  Geology —  7^ 

"•Text-book  of  Geology 1.25  29 


106  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

Pub. 
Price.      No. 

R.  Pumpelly.    *GeoIogy.    (Text-book.)   2.50       £8 

Joseph  Prestwich.    Text-book  of  Geology.    2  vols....   15.25       42 

E.    Recklus.    *The  Earth 5.00       36 

*The  Ocean 6.00       36 

W.  B.  Rogers.    Geology  of  the  Virginias 5.00       29 

Russell.    History  of  Lake  Lahontan 1.50         3 

Prank  Rutley.    The  Study  of  Rocks 1.75       29 

N.  S.  Shaler.    First  Book  in  Geology 1.00       18 

T.  D.  Steele.    New  Popular  Geology 1.25       30 

John  Tyndall.    Forms  of  Water 1.50       29 

*Glaciers  of  the  Alps.    (Scarce.) —       — 

A.  R.  Wallace.    Island  Life 4.00       36 

S.  G.  Williams.    *Applied  Geology 1.40       29 

Alexander  Winchell.    *  World  Life 2.50         6 

Sparks  from  a  Geologist's  Hammer 2.00         6 

*Sketches   of   Creation 2.00       36 

Geological   Excursions   for  Young  Learners 1.50         6 

United  States  Geographical  Survey:  Annual  reports, 
Monographs,  Bulletins.  To  be  obtained  at  cost 
on  application  to  the  Director  U.  S.  Geological- 
Survey,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Reports  on  the  Geology  of  Canada.  Application 
should  be  made  to  the  Director  Geological  Sur- 
vey, Ottawa,  Canada 

Reports  on  the  Geology  of  various  States,  especially 
New  Hampshire,  New  York,  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Michigan,  Indiana,  Illi- 
nois, Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Iowa,  Missouri  and 
California.  Usually  to  be  obtained  through 
State  Geologist,  State  Librarian,  or  Members 
of  the  Legislature. 
American  Journal  of  Science,  New  Haven.  Per  Year$  6.00 

American  Geologist,  Minneapolis 3.00 

Geologist    Magazine,    London — 

PALEONTOLOGY. 

L.  Lesauereux.  Coal  Flora  of  Pennsvlva.nia.  3 
vols.  With  atlas.  Pennsylvania  Geological 
Survey  —  — 

G.  A.  Mantell.    Petrifactions  and  their  Teachings...  $2.00       29 

H.  A.  Nicholson.    Ancient  Life  History  of  the  Earth    2.00       29 

Farth    2.00       29 

Paleontology 5.00       79 

S.  H.  Scudder.  Fossil  Butterflies  of  North  Amer- 
ica    —  26 

L.  Ward.      Sketch   of  Pa.leo-botany.      Fifth  annual 

Report  of  U.  S.  Geological  Survey — 

PHYSICS. 

N.  Arnott.     *Elements  of  Physics 3.00       29 

*Park   Benjamin : 2.00       47 


BOOKS  RECOMMENDED.  107 

Pub. 

Price.  No. 

L.   Blodgett.    'Climatology  of  United  States 5.00  61 

A.  Daniell.    "Text-book  of  Physics 3.50  42 

A.    Ganot.       *Physics 5.00  51 

E.  A.  Dolbear.    *The  Art  of  Projecting.     New  Edi- 
tion        2.00  20 

R.  F.  Glazebrook.    "Physical  Optics... 2.25  29 

R.  F.  Glazebrook  and  Shaw.    *Practical  Physics —    2.25  29 

W.  R.  Grove.    *The  Correlation  of  Physical  Forces    2.00  29 

T.  H.  Huxley.    Physiography.  (Very  valuable.) 1.80  42 

A.  Irving.    A  Short  Manual  of  Heat 75  40 

Fleeming  Jenkin.    Electricity  and  Magnetism 1.50  29 

A.  M.  Mayer.    *Sound,  $1.00;  "Light 1.00  29 

C.  W.  MacCord.    Kinematics  of  Machines 5.00  50 

J.  C.  Maxwelll.    "Theory  of  Heat 1.50  29 

Electricity     and     Magnetism.      Oxford     Claren- 
don Press.      2  vols 8.00  42 

T.  C.  Mendenhall.    A  Century  of  Electricity 1.25  19 

Thos.  Nolan.    *The  Telescope 50 

R.  H.  Scott.    "Elementary  Meteorology —  79 

"Weather-Charts  and  Storm- Warnings 2.00  40 

B.  Silliman.    "Principles  of  Physics 3.10  39 

Balfour  Stewart.    Conservation  of  Energy 1.50 

Physics    45  29 

S.  B.  Thompson.  Elementary  Lessons  in  Electricity    1.25  42 

J.  Tyndall    "Molecular  Physics 5.00  29 

*Heat  as  a  Mode  of  Motion 2.50  29 

"Lessons    in    Electricity 1.00  29 

"Light  and  Electricity 1.25  29 

"Light  1.50  29 

"Sound    2.00  29 

"Modern  Meteorology 1.50  48 

(N.B.— In  Physics,  Silliman  and  Ganot  are  both  good  text- 
books, but  Daniel  represents  much  better,  for  advanced  stu- 
dents, the  style  of  modern  thought  on  this  subject.  In  Elec- 
tricity, the  small  work  of  Thompson  is  an  excellent  intro- 
duction; that  of  Clerk  Maxwell  is  suitable  for  advanced 
students.) 

MICROSCOPY.     ' 

Lionel  S.  Beale.    "How  to  Work  With  the    Micro- 
scope        $7.50  42 

E.    Bausch.     Manipulation  of  the   Microscopp 50  53 

J.  W.  Behrens.    The  Microscope  in  Botany.    Trans- 
lated by  Hervey 5.00  28 

W.  B.  Carpenter.    "The  Microscope  and  its 

Revelations 5.50  42 

L.  L.  Clark.  "Objects  for  the  Microscope 1.75  48 

M.  C.  Cooke.    Ponds  and  Ditches 75  49 

Ore  Thousand  Ob.iects  for  the  Microscope 50  49 

C.  S.  Dolley.    Technology  of  Bacteria 2.00  26 

Frey.    The  Microscope.    Translated  by  Cutler.    1880.    4.25  51 

P.   H.  Gosse.    Evenings  at  the  Microscope 1.50  29 

J.  W.  Griffith  and  A.  Henf  rey.    "Micrograp  hie    Dic- 
tionary      20.00  75 


108  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

Pub. 

Jabez    Hogg.    "The   Microscope 3.50  46 

C.  T.  Hudson  and  P.  H.  Gosse.       *The  Rotifera  or 

Wheel-Animalcules.      2  vols 24.00  40 

F.  L.     James,     M.D.      Elementary     Microscopical 

Technology   50  79 

C.  Henry  Kain.    Reproduction   of   Schmidt's   Atlas 

of  Diatoms    7.50  79 

Lee.    Microtomist's  Vade  Mecum 3.00  71 

W.  P.  Manton.    Beginnings  with  the  Microscope...,       50  20 
J.  Mayall,  Jr.    Lectures  on  the  Microscope.    1886....       80  63 
Poulsen's     Botanical     Micro-Chemistry.     Translat- 
ed        1.00  26 

H.  J.  Slack.    *Marvels  of  Pond  Life 1.75  70 

J.  E.  Smith.    How  to  See  with  the  Microscope 2.00  5 

G.  M.     Sternberg.      Photo-Micrographs    and    How 

to  Make  Them 3.00  21 

Alfred  S.  Stokes.    Microscopy  for  Beginners 1.50  36 

Mary  Treat,  S.  Wells  and  F.  L,  Sargent.    Through 

a  Microscope 55  7 

C.     O.     Whitman.      Microscopical     Anatomy     and 

Embryology.   1885 3.00  26 

J.  W.  Wood.    Common  Objects  for  the  Microscope       50  46 
American   Monthly    Microscopical    Journal,    Wash- 

.  ington,    D.    C —  — 

The  Microscope,  Microscope  Co.,  Detroit.  Mich —  — 

Monthly  Microscopical  Journal.      1869-1877.    Discon- 
tinued           —  — 

Quarterly  Journal  Microscopical  Science,  London —  — 

Journal     Royal     Microscopical     Society,     London. 

From    1878 —  — 

(N.B.— The  best  general  book  on  the  Microscope  Is  Carpen- 
ter. James  gives  the  complete  history  of  a  slide  according  to 
the  most  recent  modes  of  mounting.  Behrens  is  very  complete 

for  the  botanical  student,  and  Frey  and  Beale  equally  so  for 
the  medical.) 


DIVISION  II. 
BOTANY. 

Class  I.— Structural  Botany. 

M.  J.  Berkeley.  *Cryptogamic  Botany —  68 

C.  E.  Bessey.  Botany  for  High  Schools 1.35  38 

G.  L.  Goodale.  Physiological  Botany 2.30  39 

Asa  Gray.  Structural  and  Systematic  Botany 2.30  39 

Sachs.  Text-book  of  Botany.  Translated 

by  Bennett  and  Dyer.  1875 —  42 

O.  W.  Thone.  Structural  and  Physiological  Botany. 

Translated  by  Bennett.    1877 —  50 


BOOKS  RECOMMENDED.  109 

Class  II.— Classification,  etc. 

Pub. 

Price.  No. 

Henry  Baldwin.    "The  Orchids  of  New  England  $  2.50  50 

Bentham  and  Hooker.    Genera  Plantarum.    2  vols. 

1862    —  42 

James   Britton,   F.   L.   S.    *European   Ferns;      their 

Form,    Habit    and    Culture.        Colored     Illus- 
trations from  Nature  by  D.   Blair 7.50  32 

M.    C.    Cooke.    Hand-book   of    British   Fungi.    1871. 

Scarce —  42 

A.  W.  Chapman.    Flora  of  the  Southern  States.  1872.  2.50  39 

J.  M.  Coulter.    Botany  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 2.50  39 

A.    De   Candolle.      *Prodrumus    Systematis    Natur- 

alis  Regni  Vegetabilis.    17  vols.   1824-1873 —  79 

W.  G.  Farlow.    *Marine  Algae  of  New  England 1.50  26 

Asa  Gray.    Manual  of  the  Botany  of  the  Northern 

United   States.    1878 2.50  39 

Synoptical  Flora  of  North  America.    2  vols.  each  5.00  39 

Harvey.    Nereis  Borealis  Americana —  4 

Sir    W.    J.    Hooker.       Flora    Borealis    Americana. 

Every  Known  Fern.    1868 11.00  45 

L.    Lesquereux    and    T.    P.    James.      *Manual      of 

the  Mosses  of  North  America 4.50  26 

W.  S.  Sullivant.    Muschi  and  Hepaticae  of  United 

States.       1866 —  26 

T.  Tuckermann.    Lichens  of  North  America    3.50  26 

L.  M.  Underwood;    Hepaticae  of  North  America 1.50  26 

A.  Wood.     Class-book  of  Botany.  1855 3.50  30 

H.  C.  Wood.    Fresh  Water  Algae  of  N.  America 750  45 

F.  Wolle.      Fresh  Water   Algae  of   United   States. 

2  vols.     1887 10.00  56 

Desmids  of  United  States.    1886 5.00  56 

Botany  of  Geological  Survey  of  California.    2  vols. 

1880 Each  5.00  79 

Class  III.— General  Works. 

W.  W.  Bailey.    Collector's  Hand-book .  1.50  13 

M.    C.    Cooke.     Microscopic   Fungi 2.00  .70 

*Rust,  Smut,  Mildew  and  Mould 1.00  70 

A.  De  Candolle.    History  of  Cultivated  Plants 2.00  29 

G.  L.  Goodale.    A  Few  Common  Plants 25  18 

Asa  Gray.    How  Plants  Grow 1.00  39 

School  and  Field  Botany 2.10  39 

Gertrude   E.    Hale.    Little   Flower   People 59  67 

F.  B.  Hough.     Elements  of  Forestry 2.00  54 

A.  A.  Knight.    A  Primer  of  Botany 35  g? 

W.   P.    Manton.     Field   Botany 50  20 

D.  P.  Penhallow.    Vegetable  Histology 1.00  79 

H.  Willey.     Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Lichens 1.00  79 

O.R.Willis.     Flora  of  New  Jersey 1:00  30 

A.  Wood.    American  Botanist  and  Florist 2.50  30 

Wood  and  Steele.    How  to  Study  Plants 2^50  30 

E.  A.  Youmans.    First  Book  of  Botany 75  29 

Descriptive   Botany 1.40  29 


110  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

Class  IV.— Popular  and  Aesthetic.    > 

Pub. 

Price.  No. 
L.  H.  Bailey.      "Talks  Afield  About  Plants  and  the 

Science  of  Plants 1.00  19 

Bentley  and  Trimen.    Medicinal  Plants.    5  vols...  £11  11s.  70 

C.  E.  Bessey.    Botanical  Atlas.    2  vols 6.00  41 

1).  C.   Eaton.    *Ferns  of  North  America.    2  vols....  SO.OO  26 

W.  Boot.    Illustrations  of  the  Genus  Carex —  79 

N.   H.   Eggleston.     Hand-book  of   Tree-planting 75  29 

G.  L.  Goodale.    "American  Wild  Flowers 15.00  26 

Grant  Allen.    Vignettes  from   Nature...- 15  34 

*The  Colors  of  Flowers 1.00  42 

S.  B.  Herrick.    "Wonders  of  Plant-Life i.50  45 

A.   B.   Ifervey.    'Sea-Mosses 2.00  13 

Marcus  1,.  Jones.    Ferns  of  the  West 30  66 

J.  Lubbock.    Flowers,  Fruits  and  Leaves 1.15  42 

Thomas  Meehan.    Native  Flowers  and  Ferns  of  the 

United   States.    3  vols.    1879 17.00  24 

Michaux     and     Nuttall.      North    American    Sylva. 

5  vols —  79 

H.    S.  Miner.      "Orchids 10.00  20 

E.  M.  Pendleton.    Scientific  Agriculture 1.50  SO 

Wm.    Rhind.    Vegetable   Kingdom 

J.  Robinson.    Ferns:  Their  Homes  and  Ours 1.50 

Alfred  Smee.    My  Garden 

Edward   Sprague.    "Bulbs 2.50  19 

"Flowers  for  the  Parlor  and  Garden 2.50  19 

"Garden  Flowers:  How  to  Cultivate  Them 2.50  19 

Orchids  3.00  19 

"Rhododendrons   2.00  19 

W.   C.  Strong.    "Fruit  Culture  and  the  Laying  Out 

and  Management  of  a  Country  Home 1.00  19 

L.  M.  Underwood.     Our  Native  Ferns 1.50  13 

Wild  Flower  Portfolio.  Three  Series,  each  being 
a  selection  of  40  wild  flowers,  printed  in 
chromo-lithography,  and  put  up  in  two  hand- 
some boxes.  6  boxes  in  all.  Each 1.50  32 

Wild  Flowers  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Portfolio. 
A,  selection _of  24  of  the  finest  wild  flowers. 
from  original  water  colors  in  12  to  15 

colors.    3  boxes,  8  pi.  in  each  box.    Each 1.50  32 

Botanical  Gazette,  Crawfordsville,  Ind.    Per  annum.    2.00  — 
Bulletin  Torrey  Botanical  Club,  Columbia  College, 

N.    Y.    City Per    annum    1.00  — 

(N.B.— The  classification  given  by  Bentham  and  Hooker,  in 
their  'Genera  Plantarum.'  is  the  one  now  accepted.  Gray's 
Manual  describes  the  plants  east  of  the  Mississippi  and  north 
of  Virginia,  Chapman's  gives  those  of  the  Gulf  States,  and 
Coulter's,  or  the  Botany  of  California,  the  west  coast  plants. 
In  structural  and  physiological  botany,  Sache  is  recent  and 
exhaustive,  Thome  is  good  and  smaller,  Bessey  covers  the  en- 
tire field  of  plant-life  in  general.  Smee's  'My  Garden'  shows 
how  much  there  is  to  observe  and  find  out  in  a  very  limited 


BOOKS  RECOMMENDED.  Ill 

area.  De  Candolle's  Prodromus  contains,  in  Latin,  a  descrip- 
tion of  all  known  plants.  In  cryptogamic  botany,  the  work 
of  Berkeley  is  scarce  but  very  good,  Sachs  and  Bessey  both 
include  cryptograms  in  their  structural  books.  The  older  edi- 
tions of  'Gray's  Manual'  include  both  ferns  and  mosses,  but 
the  mosses  are  left  out  of  the  later  editions.  Cooke's  Fungi 
applies  almost  as  well  to  the  United  States  as  to  England. 
Wolle's  books  on  Desmids  and  Fresh  Water  Algae  take  the 
place  of  all  others  on  these  subjects  for  the  United  States.) 

MINERALOGY  AND  METALLURGY. 

Pub. 

Price.      No. 
W.  R.  Balch.    Mines,   Miners  and  Mining  Interests 

in  the  United  States —  62 

H.  H.  Ballard,  Pres.  A.  A.  The  Word  of  Matter. 
A  guide  to  the  study  of  Chemistry  and  Miner- 
alogy    1.00  12 

Hilary  Baurman.    *Systematic  Mineralogy 2.25  29 

G.  J.  Brush.  Manual  of  Determinative  Mineral- 
ogy and  Blowpipe  Analysis 3.50  50 

S.   M.  Burnham.      Precious  Stones  in  Nature,    Art 

and  Literature $3.50  26 

History  and  Uses  of  Limestones  and  Marbles 6.00  26 

A.  H.  Chester.    A  Catalogue  of  Minerals 1.25  50 

Crookes  and  Rohrig.  A  Practical  Treatise  on  Met- 
allurgy. 3  vols  —  40 

J.  H.  Collins.    First  Book  of  Mineralogy 75  45 

W.   O.   Crosby.      Tables  for    the  Determination    of 

Common  Minerals 1.25  16 

H.    B.    Cornwall.    *Blowpipe   Analysis 2.50  48 

E.S.Dana.        Text-book  of  Mineralogy 3.50  50 

J.  D.  Dana.     Descriptive  Mineralogy 10.00  50 

Manual  of  Mineralogy 2.00  50 

W.   Elderhorst.     *Blowpipe  Analysis 2.50  64 

I.  C.  Foye.    *Hand-book  of  U.  S.  Minerals 50  79 

H.  P.   Gurney.       *Crystallography 50  44 

G.  G.  Gore.    *The  Art  of  Electro-Metallurgy 2.25  29 

J.     B.     Jordan.        *Elementary     Crystallography. 

(Valuable.)     1.50  72 

G.  W.  King.    Antique  Gems  and  Rings.    2  vols —  72 

A.  G.  Lock.    *Gold:  Its  Occurrence,  etc 20.00  79 

E.  H.  Richards.    First  Lessons  in  Minerals 10  18 

W.  A.  Ross.    *Blowpipe  Analysis 4.00  48 

Hussak  Smith.     Instructions  for  the  Determination 

of  Rock-forming  Minerals.    103  plates 2.00  50 

J.  Swank.    *Iron  of  All  Ages —       79 

E.  H.  Williams.    A  Manual  of  Lithology 1.25  50 

See   Reports   and    Bulletins   Geological    Survey   of   United 
States,  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  the  Surveys  of  Many  States. 

(N.B.— In  Mineralogy,  Dana,  Brush  and  Plattner  are  stand- 
ard authors.  In  the  determination  of  minerals,  the  microscope 
has  within  a  few  years  been  applied  with  wonderful  success, 
but  the  only  book  yet  written  in  English  suitable  for  a  text- 


112  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

book  on  this  subject  is  Hussak.  The  principal  one  is  in  Ger- 
man by  Prof.  Henry  Rosenbusch,  called  Mikroskopische 
Physiographic. 

ZOOLOGY— IN   GENERAL. 

Pub. 

Price.  No. 

W.  B.  Carpenter.    ""Comparative  Zoology —  79 

Buel   P.    Colton.    Elementary   Course   in   Practical 

Zoology    80  18 

Glaus     (Sedgwick).    Text-book     of     Zoology. 

(Standard.)      2  vols 8.00  42 

C.  Gegenbaur.    Comparative  Anatomy.    Translated 

by  Bell  and  Lancaster 5.50  42 

T.   H.   Huxley.    The   Crayfish.    An  Introduction  to 

Zoology    1.75  29 

J  S.  Kingsley.    *Riverside  Natural  History.  (Stand- 
ard.)    6  vols 36.00  19 

A.  M.  Marshall  and  C.  A.  Hursh.    Junior  Course  in 

Practical  Zoology   3.50  45 

E.  S.  Morse.    "First  Book  of  Zoology 1.00  29 

A.  S.  Packard.    "Zoology  for  High  Schools 3.00  38 

J.  D.  Steele.     *Fourteen  Weeks  in  Zoology 1.50  30 

Sanborn  Tenney.    "Elements  of  Zoology 1.85  39 

Natural  History  of  Animals 1.40  39 

*Manual  of  Zoology 2.30  47 

Andrew  Wilson.    Facts  and  Fictions  of  Zoology 15  34 

ZOOLOGY— SPECIAL. 
1. — Lower  Invertebrates — Conchology. 

E.  C.  Agassiz.  *First  Lesson  in  Natural  History...  25  18 
Alexander  Agassiz.  *Seaside  Studies  in  Natural 

History  3.00  19 

W.     K.     Brooks.  "Hand-book     of     Invertebrate 

Zoology    3.00  26 

Check-List.    North  American  Shells 25  4 

J.  A.  Dana.      *Corals  and  Coral  Islands 4.00  33 

J.  H.  Emerton.      *Life  on  the  Seashore 1.50  26 

Structure  and  Habits  of  Spiders 1.50  26 

A.  A.  Gould.    *Invertebrates  of  Massachusetts —  27 

S.  Haldeman.    Fresh  Water  Univalve  Mollusca 25.00  65 

N.  M.  Hentz.    "Spiders  of  the  United  States 3.00  26 

Hudson   and  Gosse.    The   Rotifera,    or   Wheel-Ani- 
malcules       24.00  40 

Alpheus  Hyatt.    "Oyster,  Clam,  etc 25  18 

"Hydroids,    Corals,    etc 20  18 

*Sponges    '. 20  18 

*Worms  and  Crustacea 25  18 

W.  Saville  Kent.    A  Manual  of  Infusoria.    3  vols...,  25.00  70 

Josiah  Keep.    *We,st  Coast   Shells 1.50  79 

D.  Landsborough.     *British   Zoophytes,    or   Coral- 

lines        —  42 

Isaac  Lea.      *Conchology.    3  vols.,   folio.     (Scarce.)      —  79 


BOOKS  RECOMMENDED.  113 

Pub. 

Price.      No. 
Joseph  Leidy.        Fresh  Water  Rhizopods  of  North 

America    —  79 

M.   Roberts.    Popular  History  of  Mollusca —  42 

E.  B.  Sowreby    .*Popular  British  Conchology —  42 

G.  W.  Tryon.  *Structural  and  Systematic  Conchol- 
ogy.      3  vols 20.00  65 

Cheap  Edition.    1  vol 12.CO  65 

Manual    of   Conchology —  65 

A.  E.  Verrill.    invertebrates  of  Vineyard  Sound...    3.00  — 

S.  P.  Woodward.    *Recent  and  Fossil  Shells —  42 

Manual  of  Mollusca —  4 

2. — Insects — Entomology. 

J.  P.  Ballard.  Among  the  Moths  and  Butterflies  1.25  45 

H.  S.  Conant.  *Butterfly  Hunters 1.50  79 

E.  T.  Cressson.  Synopsis  of  the  Hymenoptera  of 

North  America,  1887 3.00  57 

P.M.Duncan.  Transformations  of  Insects 2.00  32 

A.  J.  Ebell.  *Insects  and  How  to  Observe  Them...  30  79 

Canadian  Entomologist.  Monthly.  Per  Year 1.00  — 

Edwards.  *Butterflies  of  North  America.  Series  1, 

$35.00;  Series  2,  $40.00;  Series  3,  in  parts.  Each  2.25  19 
G.  H.  French.  Butterflies  of  the  Eastern  United 

States  2.00  61 

T.  W.  Harris.  "Insects  Injurious  to  Vegetation. 

$4.00  and 6.50  41 

H.  A.  Hazen.  Synopsis  of  Neuroptera  of  North 

America —  4 

John  Lubbock.  *Ants,  Bees  and  Wasps 2.00  29 

Le  Conte  and  Horn.  Classification  of  the  Coleop- 

tera    —  4 

C.  J.  Maynard.    *Butterflies  of  New  England 7.00  26 

J.  G.  Morris.    Synopsis  of  the  Lepidoptera  of  North 

America  —  4 

A.  S.  Packard,  Jr.    Guide  to  the  Study  of  Insects...    5.00  38 

William   Saunders.    Insects  Injurious  to  Fruits —  — 

M.  Van  Benedin.    Animal  Parasites 1.50  29 

S.     H.      Scudder.       Butterflies:      Their     Structure, 

Changes  and  Life  Histories 3.00  38 

Mary  Treat.    My  Garden  Pets.    (Ants,  Wasps,  Spi- 
ders,   etc.)    —  22 

T.  Say.    *Entomology  of  North  America.    2  vols 15.00  — 

J.   G.    Wood.    "Insects  at  Home , 3.50  40 

"Insects    Abroad ' 3.50  40 

J.   O.   Westwood.     Entomologist's  Text-book 37.00  42 

(See  for  valuable  notes  on  Fconomic  Entomology,  Reports 
and  Bulletins  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture and  Entomological  Commission,  Washington,  D.  C.) 

3.— Vertebrates, 
a.    In  general. 

D.  S.   Jordan.       Vertebrates  of    Northern     United 

States    $2.50  8 

*8 


114  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

Pub. 

Manual  of  the  Vertebrates...  ^fso      °8 

b.    Reptiles. 
Samuel    Garman.       *Reptiles    and    Batrachians    of 

North    America 400       54 

c.  Fish  , 

C.  Girard.  *Fresh  Water  Fish  of  North  America          1  50        4 

Hugo  Mulertt    "The  Gold  Fish  and  its  Culture 60       54 

H.  G.  Seeley,  F.R.S.      *Fresh  Water  Fishes  of  Eu- 
rope           5.00       32 

Various  Government  Publications: 

d.  Birds— Ornithology,  Oology  and  Taxidermy. 

J.  J.  Audubon.    *Birds  of  America.    7  vols  (Scarce.) 

Austin.    *Taxidermy  Without  a  Teacher 50       20 

S.  F.  Baird.    *Land  Birds  of  California 10.00       21 

Baird,    Brown    and    Ridgeway.       *Birds    of    North 
America.    Land   Birds.   3   vols.    $30.00;    colored, 

$60.00;  Water  Birds,  $24.00;  colored 60.00       21 

T.  Brown.    *Manual  of  Taxidermy 1.50       45 

Elliot  Coues.    *Birds  of  the  Northwest 4.50       27 

Check-List  of  Birds 3.00       17 

*Key  to  North  American  Birds,  and  Field  Ornith- 
ology        7.50       17 

Elliot  Coues  and  W.  A.  Stearns.  *Bird-Life :  a  Man- 
ual   of    Ornithology 5.00       20 

Geo.  H.  Holden.    *Canarie£  and  Cage-Birds 2.00       37 

Ernest  Ingersoll.      *Birds' -Nesting 1.25       26 

J.  H.  Langille.    Our  Birds  in  their  Haunts 3.00       26 

C.  J.  May nard.    Manual  of  Taxidermy 1.25       26 

Olive  Thorn  Miller.    Bird  Ways 1.25       19 

H.  D.  Minot.    Land  and  Game  Birds  of  New  Eng- 
land         3.00       26 

R.  Ridgeway.    Manual  of  North  American  Birds...    7.50       61 

Bradford  Torrey.    Birds  in  the  Bush 1.25       19 

Alexander    Wilson.    *American    Ornithology.      Ac- 
cording to  style From  $110.00  to    7.50       64 

Wild  Birds  Portfolio.    A  selection  of  40  beautifully 
Colored  Plates   of  Familiar  Wild  Birds.    Two 

handsome  boxes Each      1.50       32 

American     Ornithologists'      Union     Check-List     of 

North   American   Birds 3.00       — 

e.  Mammals. 

F.  S.  Buckland.    *Log-book  of  a;  Zoologist 3.00  61 

Hartman.    Anthropoid  Apes  1.75  29 

St.  George  Mivart.    The  Cat.    200  illustrations 3.50  47 

f.  Man— Archaeology  and  Ethnology. 

Abbott,    C.    C.    'Primitive  Industry    of   the   Native 

Races    of   America 3.00       23 

American  Journal  of  Archaeology Per  year    5.00       81 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL  INSTITUTE  PUBLICATIONS    -         11 

1.    School  of  Classical  Studies  at  Athens. 
(a)    Bulletin  I.      (All  out  in  1887.) 


BOOKS  RECOMMENDED.  115 

!  Pub. 

Price.      No. 

(b)  Preliminary  Report  of  an  Archaeological 
Journey  in  Asia  Minor.    Inscriptions. 

(c)  *Papers  I.      (All  out  in  1887.) 

(d)  *Report  on   Explorations  at  Assos,   1881. 

(All  out  1887.) 

II.  American  Series. 

(a)  *New  Mexico. 

(b)  *Tour  in  Mexico,  1881. 

III.  Reports. 

Bancroft.    Native    Races.    5    vols 2250  2 

Bureau   of  Ethnology.    *Reports  I. -IV Each    300  4 

W.  Boyd  Dawkins.    ""Cave-Hunting- 6  00  42 

De  Mortillet.    (L'Homme  Prehistorique.) 5  francs  78 

J.  W.   Foster.       *Prehistoric   Races  of   the  United 

States  $300  g 

C.   C.  Jones.    Antiquities  of  the  Southern  Indians..    6.00  29 

J.  P.  Maclean.    The  Mound-Builders 100  54 

Antiquity   of   Man 60  54 

O.   T.  Mason.    Articles  in  American  Naturalist...!!       —  — 

M.  De  Nadillac.    Prehistoric  America 5.00  45 

Peabody  Museum  of  Ethnology.    21  Reports —  23 

John  P.  Short.    *North  Americans  of  Antiquity.  8vo    3.00  36 
H.  R.  Schoolcraft.      Algic  Researches.    Out  of  print, 

and  very  scarce  at  second-hand  for  about 3.00  — 

H.  R.  Schoolcraft.    *  Archives  of  Aboriginal  Knowl- 
edge.   6    vols.,    folio 90.00  61 


Smith.  Ins. 

Price  No. 

Smithsonian    Institution.      Miscellaneous    Publica- 
tions, commonly  illustrated.    For  example: 

Abbott.     Stone  Age  in  New  Jersey 25  394 

Boehmer.    Index  to  Smith.  Inst.  Anthrop.  Pub 10  421 

Bransford.    Antiquity  of  Costa  Rica 10  619 

Archaeological   Researches    in   Nicaragua 2.00  383 

2ope.    West  India  Bone  Cave 2.00  489 

Dall.    Remains  of  Later  Prehistoric  Man  in  Alaska 

Caves 2.00  318 

Desor.    Palafittes  of  the  Lake  Neuchatel 10  360 

Gibbs,  Hardesty,  Jones,   Ross.      Tinneh   or   Chepe- 

wyan     Indians 10  365 

Gillman.     Mound-Builders  of  Michigan 20  393 

Gore.    Tuckahoe,   or  Indian    Bread 5  482 

Haldeman.    Polychrome    Bead   from   Florida 5  404 

Henry.    Circular  on   Archaeology   and  Ethnology...  2  205 

Henry.    List  of  Photographic  Portraits   of  Indians  10  216 

Howitt.    Australian   group— Relations    5  596 

Jones.    Aboriginal   Structures   in   Georgia 5  400 

Aboriginal   Remains    in   Tennessee 3.00  259 

Keugla.    Archaeological  Map  of  D.  C 5  537 

Knight.    Savage.  Weapons  at  Philadelphia  Exhibi- 
tion ..                                        ,....  25  415 


116 


THREE  KINGDOMS. 


Smith.  Ins. 

Price.  No. 

Lapham.    Antiquities    of   Wisconsin 10.00  70 

Mason.    Latimer  Collection  of  Antiquities  of  Porto 

Rico    5  397 

Mason.    Miscellaneous  Anthropological  Papers,  1879  10  420 

Mason.    Miscellaneous  Anthropological  Papers,  1881  10  481 

Rau.    Flint  Implements  Found  in  Illinois 5  370 

Drilling  Stone  Without  Metal 5  372 

Gold  Ornaments  from  Mounds  in  Florida 5  403 

Palenque  Tablet   2.00  331 

Stock-in-Trade  of  Aboriginal   Lapidary 5  402 

Romer.     Prehistorical    Antiquities  of   Hungary 2  392 

Simpson.    Coronado's:  March  in  Search  of  Cibola 5  561 

Squier.    Aboriginal  Monuments  of  New  York 6.00  15 

Swan.    Haidah  Indians  2.00  267 

Trans.  Anthropol.  Institution  of  Washington.  Vol. 

I.,  1879-1882 1.00  501 

Trans.  Anthropol.  Institution  of  Washington.      Ab- 
stract.      1879-1880  1.00  502 

Trans.  Anthropol.  Institution  of  Washington.    Vol. 

II.,    1882-1888 1.00  544 

Thomas.    Directions   for  Mound  Exploration 2  601 

g.  guides. 

Louis  Agassiz.    *Methods  of  Study 1.50  19 

H.  H.  Ballard.    Hand-book  of  the  Agassiz  Associa- 
tion   75  52 

H.  D.  Butler.    Family  Aquarium 75  34 

J.  S.  Kingsley.    Naturalists'  Assistant 1.50  £6 

C.  T.  Maynard.    Naturalists'  Guide 2.CO  26 


DIVISION  III. 


NATURAL    HISTORY— POPULAR. 

Price. 

F.  Albertsen.    *Four-footed  Lovers 1.00 

A.  B.  Buckley.    *Life  and  Her  Children 1.50 

Winners  in  Life's   Race 1.50 

P.    A.   Chadbourne.       Lectures 75 

Cecil's  *Natural  History *  85 

Sarah  Cooper.    Animal  Life  in  the  Sea  and  on  the 

Land    1.50 

Ernst  Haeckel.    A  Visit  to  Ceylon 1.75 

A.  B.  Harris.     Door-Yard  Folks 1.00 

J.  Hinton.    *Life  in  Nature 15 

C.  F.  Holder.    *Living  Lights 2.00 

W.  Hooker.    ^Child's  Book  of  Nature.    3  parts.    No. 

1,  60c. ;  2  and  3,  each,  65c. ;  bound  in  one 1.60 

Ernest   Ingersoll.    Old    Ocean 1.00 

*Habits  of  Animal^ 75 


J.   Johonnot.    Glimpses   of  the  Animate  World 1.20 

H.  C.   McCook.    Tenants  of  an  Old  Farm 2.50 


Pub. 
No. 
20 

29 
29 
30 
28 

36 

22 
34 
32 

16 

22 
7 

29 
35 


ROOKS  RECOMMENDED.  117 

Pub. 

Price.  No. 
McGuffy's  Natural  History  Readers: 

1.  Familiar  Animals  and  their  Wild  Kindred...  58  55 

2.  Living  Creatures  of  Water,  Land  and  Air....  58  55 

Gilbert    White.    Selborne    75  36 

J.  G.  Wood.    Popular  Natural  History.    500  Illustra- 
tions      1.75  64 

Homes  Without  Hands 4.50  36 

*Strange  Dwellings    1.75  40 

*Out  of  Doors 1.75  40 

*Bible  Animals  3.50  40 

*The  Branch   Builders 1.00  40 

*Wonderf  ul  Nests   1.25  40 

"Homes    Underground 1.15  40 

MISCELLANEOUS. 


Abercrombie.       Weather    1.75  29 

Louis  Agassiz.     *Journey   in  Brazil 2.50  19 

*His  Life  and  Correspondence.  By  E.  C.  Agassiz 

2  vols 4.00  19 

Francis  Bacon.    Novum  Organum  and  Advancement 

of   Learning     2.00  47 

H.  W.  Bates.    *Naturalist  on  the  Amazons 2.50  25 

Mary  E.  Bamford.     The  Look-Out  Club 1.50  22 

My  Land  and  Water  Friends 1.50  22 

Mrs.  Boyle.     Days  and  Hours  in  a  Garden 2.00  25 

J.  Bernstein.      The  Five  Senses 1.75  29 

C.  L.  Brightwell.    Lives  of  Labor 1.25  79 

John  Burroughs.     Birds  and  Poets 1.50  19 

*Wake  Robin   1.50  19 

Winter    Sunshine    1.50  19 

Locusts  and  Wild  Honey 1.50  19 

Pepacton  and  Other  Sketches 1.50  19 

Fresh  Fields  1.50  19 

Signs  and  Seasons 1.50  19 

A.  B.  Buckley.    "The  Fairyland  of  Science.... 1.50  29 

H.  J.  Clark.    *Mind  in  Nature 3.50  29 

J.  W.  Draper.    The  Conflict  between   Religion  and 

Science   1.75  29 

G.   F.  Figuier.     *The  Human  Race 4.50  29 

*Primitive  Man    3.00  32 

*The  World  Before  the  Deluge 1.50  29 

*The   Ocean   World 1.50  32 

*Birds  and   Reptiles 1.50  32 

*The   Vegetable    World 1.50  32 

John  Fiske.    Excursions  of  an  Evolutionist 2.00  19 

Mrs.  Alfred  Gatty.    *Parables  from  Nature 75  31 

L.  Grindon.    Life:  Its  Nature  and  Varieties 2.25  61 

Plant  Life  '.  1.00  14 

Emblems    1.00  14 

Sexuality    of    Nature 1.00  14 

Trees  of  Old  England 1.00  14 


118  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

Pub. 

Price.  No. 

C.  Hartwig.    "The  Sea  and  its  Living  Wonders 3.50  40 

*The   Tropical   World 3.50  40 

"The  Polar  World 3.50  40 

*The  Subterranean  World 3.50  40 

*The  Aerial  World 3.CO  29 

*Sea  Monsters  and  Sea  Birds 1.00  40 

*Denizens  of  the  Deep 1.00  40 

*  Volcanoes  and  Earthquakes 1.00  40 

C.  T.  Holder.    *Marvels  of  Animal  Life 2.00  47 

W.    Houghton.       ""Country   Walks   of   a  Naturalist 

with  his  Children —  79 

P.  H.  Gosse.    Romance  of  Natural  History 2.00  61 

A.  Humboldt.    Kosmos.   3  vols.       (Bohn's  Library.)  —  29 

Views    of  Nature —  29 

T.  H.   Huxley.    Darwin  and   Humboldt 15  34 

Ernest  Ingersoll.    *Friends  Worth  Knowing 1.00  36 

*Old   Ocean   1.00  7 

R.Jeffries.    *Wild  Life  in  a  Southern  Country 1.75  25 

Dr.  D.  S.  Jordan.    Science  Sketches 1.50  8 

A.  Karr.    Around  in  My  Garden —  79 

J.  Le   Conte.      Sight 1.50  29 

G.  P.  Marsh.       Thej  Earth  as  Modified  by  Human 

Actions 3.50  47 

J.    Michelet.    The   Bird 4.00  80 

The   Ocean  World —  80 

The  Desert   —  80 

The  World  Before  The  Deluge 80 

John  Milne.      Earthquakes 1.75 

R.  Mudie.    Observations  of  Nature 75  29 

Maurice   Noel.       Buz 1.00  38 

H.  O.  Oersted.    Spirit  in  Nature.    (Bohn's  Library.)  —  79 

F.  Papillon.      *Nature  and  Life 2.00  29 

*A  World    of  Wonders 2.00  29 

J.  Patton.    Natural  Resources  of  the  United  States  3.00  29 

J.   B.  Pettigrew.    Animal  Locomotion 1.75  29 

F.  A.   Pouchet.    "The  Universe 8.00  47 

.T.  L.  Phipson.    *Utilizationi  of  Minute  Life 

E,  P.  Roe.    Nature's*  Serial  Story 1.50  33 

Roberts.    Rules  of  Order 75  36 

F.  B.  Sanborn.    Life  of  H.  D.  Thoreau 1.25  19 

Samuel    Smiles.    "Scotch   Naturalist 1.50  36 

*Robert    Dick    1.50  36 

Maurice  Thompson.    Byways  and  Bird  Notes 60  28 

D.  Thoreau.    Walden;  or,  Life  in  the  Woods 1.50  19 

A  Week  on  the  Concord  and  Merrimac  Rivers..  1.50  19 

Excursions  in  Field  and  Forest 1.50  19 

The   Maine   Woods 1.50  19 

Cape  Cod  1.50  19 

Early  Spring  in  Massachusetts 1.50  19 

J.   Tyndall.'  Faraday  as  a  Discoverer 1.00  29 

Science  for    Unscientific  People 2.50  29 

Belfast   Address    50  29 

Mr?.  Ware.    Thoughts  in  My  Garden —  29 

C.  D.  Warner.    Tn   the  Wilderness 75  19 


BOOKS  RECOMMENDED.  119 

Pub. 
Price.      No 

The  Naturalists'  Directory:  containing  an  alphabet- 
ical list  of  nearly  all  the  leading  naturalists, 
with  their  specialties  and  addresses —  15 

•"Herbarium— Ballard,  H.  H.(  and  Thayer,  S.  P.  For 
the  convenient  preservation  of  flowers,  ferns 
and  leaves.  Contains  directions  for  collecting 
and  preserving  plants;  blanks  for  an  analytic- 
al record  of  each  specimen,  pages  for  mount- 
ing plants,  and  gummed  paper  to  fasten  them  1.50  12 

J.  G.  Wood.  Nature's  Teaching.  Human  Inven- 
tion Anticipated  by  Nature 2.50  25 

AN  INDEX  OF  INDEXES. 

The  young  student  may  begin)  with  the  conviction  that 
something  of  value  has:  been  written  about  everything,  if  it 
can  only  be  found.  To  find  it  is  the  difficulty,  and  to  over- 
come this  difficulty  so  many  indexes  of  different  kinds  have 
been  made,  that  now  the  student  needs  a  catalogue  of  in- 
dpxes.  It  is  true  that  those  boys  and  girls  who  live  in  the 
country,  away  from  large  cities  where  the  large  libraries 
are,  find  it  very  difficult  to  get  hold  of  the  books  they  need, 
even  when  they  know  their  names.  Quite  likely  some  of 
the  Agassiz  Chapters  might  make  an  arrangement  such  as 
they  have  in  Australia,  where  the  great  libraries  in  Mel- 
bourne and  the  other  large  cities  have  a  branch  office  in  each 
of  the  little  towns  for  hundreds  of  miles  around,  and  send 
boxes,  made  for  the  purpose  and  filled  with  the  books  called 
for,  every  week  or  two  weeks,  to  these  towns  by  rail,  so  that 
the  country  people  have  almost  as  much  good  of  the  big  li- 
braries as  those  people  who  live  in  cities.  Of  course  they 
contribute  to  the  big  library  some  money,  but  they  have  a 
great  many  more  books  to  select  from  than  if-  the  same 
money  was  spent  on  a  little  home  town  library. 

SOME  OF  THESE  INDEXES  ARE: 

Index  to  Periodical  Literature.    By  W.  F.    Poole.         Boston: 
Osg-ood  .&  Co.,   1882 

Catalogue  of  Scientific  Papers.  Royal  Society  of  London: 
Trubner  &  Co.,  1S79.  Continued.  8  vols. 

Dictionary  of  English  Literature.  S.  A.  Allibone.  Philadel- 
phia: Childs  &  Peterson,  1859. 

Reports  of  Committee  on  Indexing  Chemical  Literature. 
See  Yearly  Reports  of  American  Association  Advance- 
ment of  Science. 

Thesaurus.  Literaturae  Botanicae.  Pritzel.  Brockhaus. 
Leipzig:  1872.  Modified,  somewhat  enlarged,  and  repub- 
lished  as  Guide;  to  the  Literature  of  Botany.  By  Benja- 
min Daydon  Jackson.  London:  Longmans,  Green  & 
Co.,  1881. 
These  works  contain  the  names  of  all  books  on  botany. 


120  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

Descriptive  Catalogue  of  the  Government  publications  of  the 
United  States.  B.  P.  Poore,  1774  to  1881.  .Government 
Printing-  office,  Washington. 

Nomenclature   Fungorum.    J.   A.   Streinz. Supplement  to  1863. 
Nomenclator  Botanicus.    E.  D.  Steudel.    Second  Edition,  1841. 
Synonymiae  Botanicae.    L.  Pfeiffer,   1870-1874. 
Bibliographical   Index    to    North    American   Botany.    Serano 

Watson 
Smithsonian  Contributions.    XV.      1878-1880. 

(Members  of  the  A.  A.,  desiring  more  special  informa- 
tion regarding  any  book,  may  address  Mr.  C.  H.  A.  Bjerre- 
gaard,  librarian  of  the  Astor  Library,  N.  Y.  City,  who  has 
most  generously  volunteered  to  place  his  invaluable  experi- 
ence at  the  service  of  those  who  require  such  assistance.) 

PUBLISHERS  OR  AUTHORS  ADDRESSES. 

1.  The  Bancroft  Co.,  History  Building,  San  Francisco,  Cal. 

2.  The  History  Co. 

3.  Director  U.    S.   Geological   Survey,       Washington,    D.    C. 

4.  Smithsonian  Institution 

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7.  The  Interstate  Publishing  Co., 

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15.  S.    E.    Cassino, 137    High    St., 

16.  W.  O.  Crosby,  c-o  Boston  Soc.  of  Nat.  His., 

17.  Estes    &   Lauriat 

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19.  Houghton,    Mifflin   &    Co., 

20.  Lee   &   Shepard 

21.  Little,   Brown,  &  Co., 

22.  D.  Lothrop  &  Co., 

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24.  L.    Prang   &    Co., Boston,    Mass. 

25.  Roberts   Bros.,    

26.  Bradlee   Whidden 

27.  Wright  .&  Potter,         18  Post  Office  Square, 

28.  John  B.  Alden, 393  Pearl  St.,  New  York. 

29.  D.  Appleton  &  Co., 

30.  A.  S.  Barnes  <&  Co., 

31.  Robert  Carter    &   Bros. 530   Broadway, 

32.  Cassell  •&  Co 

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34.  Jos.   Fitzgerald 108   Chambers    St., 

35.  Fords,    Howard    &    Hurlbert, 

36.  Harper  &   Brothers 

37.  Geo.   H.   Holden 240   Sixth  Ave., 

38.  Henry   Holt    &    Co 


BOOKS  RECOMMENDED.  121 

39.  Ivison,  Blakeman  &  Co., New    York. 

40.  Long-mans,  Green  &  Co.,  15  E.  Sixteenth  St., 

41.  Orange  Judd  Company 

42.  Macmillan  &   Co., 

43.  Phillips  &  Hunt, 805  Broadway, 

44.  E.  •&  J.  B.   Young  &  Co., 

45.  G.   P.   Putnam's  Sons 

46.  George  Routledge  &  Sons,  9  Lafayette  Place, 

47.  Charles  Scribner's  Sons, 

48.  D.    Van   Nostrand, 

49.  Frederick  Warne  &  Co.,  20  Lafayette  Place, 

50.  John  Wiley  &  Sons, 15  Astor  Place, 

51.  William   Wood   &  Co.,      27   Great  Jones  St., 

52.  The  Writers'  Pub.   Co.,  21  University  Place, 

53.  Bausch  &  Lomb, Rochester,   N.   Y. 

54.  Robert  Clarke  &   Co Cincinnati,    O. 

55.  Van  Antwerp,    Bragg-  &   Co 

56.  F.   Wolle, Bethlehem,  Pa. 

57.  American   Entomological   Society, Philadelphia,    Pa. 

58.  H.   Carey  Baird  &  Co.,      810  Walnut  St., 

59.  P.   Blakiston,   Son   &   Co., 

60.  Lea  Brothers  &  Co. 

61.  J.    B.    Lippincott    Company, 

62.  Mining-  Industrial  Pub.  Co 

63.  Jas.    W.    Queen  &   Co., 

64.  Porter  &  Coates 

65.  G.    W.   Tyron, 

66.  Dr.   Marcus  E.   Jones Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

67.  Ginn  &   Co Boston.   Mass. 

fi8.  H.  Balliere  &  Co., London,  Eng. 

69.  George  Bell  &  Sons, 

70.  David   Bogue   &    Co., 

71.  J.    &    A.    Churchill, 

72.  Thomas  Murby 

73.  Sonnenschein,   Lowery  &   Co., 

74.  Trubner  &  Co., 

75.  J.    Van  Voorst, 

76.  William  Blackwood  &  Sons Edinburg,   Scotland. 

77.  Blackie  &  Son, Glasgow, 

78.  Rheinwald,     Paris.     France. 

79.  The  Baker   &  Taylor  Co New  York. 

80.  Thos.  Nelson  &   Sons, 

81.  A.    L.    Frothingham Princeton,    N.    J. 

82.  John  Wanamaker, Philadelphia.    Pa. 

83.  The  Century  Co New  York. 

84.  Cambridge  University  Press 

85.  Chapman   &  Hall, London.   Eng. 

86.  Adam   &  Ch.   Black, 

87.  Hann  &  Adair Columbus,  Ohio. 

88.  Griffith    &    Farran, London,    Eng. 

89.  Gustav  Fischer, 

90.  Roberts    Bros Boston.    Mass. 

91.  E.  Jacobs  &   Co.,    Philadelphia,   Pa, 


122  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

NOTE.— Where  the  publisher  is  unknown  or  uncertain  in 

the  foregoing  list,  the  address  of  the  Baker    &    Taylor  Co., 

Booksellers,   New  York  (No.  79  in  the  list),  is    given,  as  the 
books  can  always  be  obtained  through  them. 

Supplement  to  books  recommended.  August  1,  1897. 
ASTRONOMY. 

Pub. 

Price.  No. 

Sir  R.   S.  Ball.    *Story  of  the  Heavens 3.75  82 

*Star  Land 1.50  82 

*In  Starry  Realms 1.90  82 

Gen.  O.  M.  Mitchell.    Planetary  and  Stellar  Worlds  32  28 

Alex.  Winchell.    *Sketches  of  Creation 2  36 

BIOLOGY  AND  EVOLUTION. 

E.  Clodd.    A  Primer  of  Evolution —  40 

T.  H.  Huxley.    Elementary  Instruction  in  Practical 

Biology  2.34  82 

J.   B.    Button.    *Evolution  and  Disease —  47 

Dr.  Sims  Woodhead.    *Bacteria  and  other  Products  —  47 

August  Weisman.*  Germ  Plasm— Theory  of  Heredity  2.50  82 

GEOLOGY. 

Rev.  J.  W.  Dawson.    Origin  of  the  World 2  36 

Prof.   Edw.   Hull.    Volcanoes  Past  and  Present —  47 

N.  S.  Shaler.    Aspect  of  the  Earth 1.90  82 

First   Book  in  Geology 1.00  82 

PHYSICS. 

John   Cox.    Energy  in  Nature —  47 

Camille  Flammarion.      Atmosphere 6.00  36 

G.  W.  Tunzelmann.    Electricity  in  Modern  Life —  47 

Prof.  F.  Waldo.    *Modern  Meteorology —  47 

BOTANY. 

J.  S.  Brisbins.      *Trees  and  Tree  Planting 1.50  36 

Rev.  H.  Friend.    *Flowers  and  Flower  Lore 90  28 

F.  S.  Mathews.    Familiar  Flowers  of  Field  and  Gar- 

den      1.50  29 

C.  S.  Newhall.    *Trees  of  Northeastern  America 1.90  82 

Leaf  Collectors'  Hand-book 1.50  82 

ZOOLOGY. 

C.  C.  Abbott.    Bird  Land  Echoes .  1.50  61 

J.  N.   Baskett.    The  Shore  of  the  Birds 1.25  29 

F.   E.  Beddard.    Zoography 1.25  84 

T.  M.  Chapman.    Bird  Life 1.50  29 

J.  H.  Comstock.    Insect  Life.    Introduction  to  Nat- 
ural Study  2  29 


BOOKS  RECOMMENDED.  123 

Pub. 

Price.  No. 

Sarah  Cooper.    *Animal  Life  in  Sea  and  Land 1.25  82 

Chas.   Dixon.    Annals  of  Bird  Life 2.00  85 

O.  Daire.    Methods  in  Art  of  Taxidermy 5.00  87 

Dr.  M.  Foster.    *A  Text-Book  of  Physiology —  82 

Part  I.    Blood— Tissues  of  Movement 2.34  82 

Part  II.    Tissues  of  Chemical  Action 2.34  82 

Part  III.    Central  Nervous  System 1.71  82 

Part  IV.    *Practical  Embryology 2.34  82 

Wm.  T.  Hornaday.    Taxidermy  and  Zoological  Col- 
lecting-      2.50  47 

F.  Merriam.    Birds  Throug-h  Opera  Glasses 1.25  19 

O.  T.  Miller.    Upon  the  Tree-tops 1.25  19 

Bird  Ways    1.25  19 

In    Nesting-time    1.25  19 

Little  Brothers  in  the  Air 1.25  19 

A  Bird  Lover  in  the  West 1.25  19 

Four  Handed  Folks 1.25  19 

A.  Newton.    Dictionary  of  Birds 6.00  86 

T.  M.  Nuttall.    Popular  Hand-book  of  Ornithology 

of  Eastern  N.   A 6.00  21 

Prof.  J.  Rennie.    *Natural  History  of  Elephants 75  36 

Natural  History  of  Quadrupeds 75  36 

Prof.  N.  S.  Shaler.    Nature  and  Man  in  America. . . .  1.50  47 

B.  Torrey.    Spring- Notes  from  Tennessee —  10 

Birds  in  the  Bush —  19 

A  Rambler's  Lease —  19 

A  Florida  Sketch-book —  19 

F.  A.  Thompson.    Study  of  Animal  Life —  47 

Mrs.  Trunmer.    History  of  the  Robins 1.00  88 

M.    Thompson.    Sylvan    Secrets 35  28 

A.   R.  Wallace.    Geographical  Distribution  of  Ani- 
mals      10.00  36 

H.   E.    The  Birds'   Calendar 1.50  47 

—    *Living-  World    1.00  82 

Julia  McNair  Wright.       Nature  Readers:    Sea-side 

and  Way-side. 

The  First   Reader  treats   of  crabs,   wasps,    spi- 
ders, bees  and  some  universal  molluscs.    12mo, 

boards    25  82 

The  Second  Reader  treats  of  ants,  flies,  earth- 
worms, beetles,  barnacles,  star-fish  and  drag-- 

on-flies.    12mo,    boards    35  82 

The    Third    Reader    has   lessons    in    plant    life, 
grasshoppers,     butterflies     and     birds.       12mo, 

boards   ,    50  82 

The  Fourth  Reader  treats  of  world   life  in   its 

different  aspects   and   periods.    12mo,   boards. .  60  82 

NATURAL  HISTORY. 

C.  C.  Abbott.    Naturalist's  Rambles  about  Home..  1.10  82 

Upland  and  Meadow 1.10  82 

Waste  Land  Wanderings 1.10  82 


A.   Nichols.    Physical  History.. 

J.  A.  Owen.    In  the  Green  Leaf  and  the  Sere... 


124  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

Pub. 
Price.      No. 

Days  out  of  Doors 1.10       82 

In  Touch  With  Nature 1.50       82 

J.  W-  Dawson.    *Story  of  Earth  and  Man 37       28 

Mr.   Darwin.    What  Mr.   Darwin  Saw 3.00       36 

Karl  Eroos.    Die  Spiele  der  Thiere —       89 

Shirley  Hibberd.    Rustic  Adornments  for  Homes  of 

Taste  1.00       — 

The  Town  Garden 1.00 

Alex  Von  Humboldt.    Humbolt's  Cosmos 3.00       36 

E.  Ingersoll.    "Kicking  Around  the  Rockies 2.00       36 

R.  Jefferies.    Wild.'  Life  in  a  Southern  County 1.00       90 

Rev.  F.  O.  Morris.    *Morris'  Dogs  and  their  Doings..    1.75       36 

M.  W.  Morley.    A  Song  of  Life 1.00         8 

Gospel  of  Nature 2.00       91 

H.  C.  McCook.    Tenants  of  an  Old  Farm 1.10       82 

P.  Mantegazza.    *Physiognomy  and  Expression  —       —       47 

1.75       36 
2.00       74 

Elsee  Reclus.    *Ocean,  Atmosphere  and  Life    6.00       36 

*The  Earth 5.00       36 

*History  of  a  Mountain 1.25       36 

J.   S.  Springer.    Forest  Life 1.50       36 

Friends   Worth   Knowing 1.00       36 

N.    S.   Shaler.    Domesticated  Animals »     2.00       47 

C.  H.   Skinner.    Nature  in  a  City  Yard 1.00       83 

Dr.  I.  Taylor.    Origin  of  the  Aryans —       47 

Mary  Treat.    Home  Studies  in  Nature 90       82 

H.  P.  Wells.    *American   Salmon   Fishermen 1.00       36 

City  Boys  in  the   Woods 1.00       83 

A.  R.  Wallace.    *Malay  Archipelago 2.50       36 

*Country   Cousins    , 2.50       36 

A.    R.    Wallace.    'Island   Life 'i 86 

Anna   Warner.    Miss  Warner's    three  little  Spades    1.00       36 
Science     Primers.      Under   the   joint   editorship    of 
Prof.  Huxley,  Prof.  Roscoe  and  Prof.  Balfour 

Stewart.    18mo,  flexible  cloth,  each 45      35       82 

Introductory.    By  T.  H.  Huxley. 

Chemistry.    By  H.  E.  Roscoe. 

Physics.    By  Balfour  Stewart. 

Physical    Geography.    By  A.   Geikie. 

Geology.    By  Archibald  Geikie. 

Physiology.    By  M.  Foster,  M.A. 

Astronomy.    By  J.  Norman  Lockyer. 

Botany.    By  J.   D.   Hooker. 

Logic.    By  W.  S.  Jevons. 

Tnventional  Geometry.    By  W.  G.   Spencer. 

Pianoforte.    By  Franklin  Taylor. 

Political  Economy.    By  W.  Stanley  Jevons. 

Natural   Resources   of   the  United   States.       By 

J.  H.  Patton,  A.M. 

Scientific  Recreation  Series.  Interesting  and  in- 
structive to  old  and  young.  A  series  of  nine 
16mo  volumes,  with  many  illustrations.  Per 
volume  5°  4°  82 


BOOKS  RECOMMENDED.  125 


Marvels  of   the  Elements. 

Marvels  of  Heat,  Light  and  Sound. 

Marvels  of  Invention  and  Scientific  Puzzles. 

Marvels  of  Earth,  Air  and  Water. 

Marvels  of  Geology  and  Physical  Geography 

Marvels  of  Electricity  and  Magnetism. 

Marvels  of  Astronomy. 

Marvels  of  Animal   and   Plant  Life. 

Half  Hours  of  Scientific  Amusement. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

NOTES. 

It  may  be  useful  to  give  here  a  few  notes  that  have 
been  made  by  members  of  the  A.  A.,  partly  to  show 
what  sort  of  work  is  being  done,  and  partly  to  furnish 
a  suggestion  to  new  members  of  what  they  can  do. 
These  notes,  as  well  as  most  of  the  letters  from  chap- 
ters and  friends  already  given,  are  taken  nearly  at  ran- 
\  dom  from  our  monthly  reports. 

BIRDS  OF  PICTOU,  NOVA  SCOTIA. 

I  send  you  a  list  of  the  birds  which  I  found  and  identified 
last  year  in  Pictou.    I  found  them  all,  the  duck  excepted,  with 
in  a  space  of  not  more  than  thirty  acres  around  Cliff  Cottage. 
WILLIE  SHERATON,  Cor  Mem.  Chapter  I. 

STRAY  PELICANS. 

A  neighbor  was  out  with  a  lantern  one  very  dark  and 
foggy  evening,  when  several  pelicans  flew  against  him,  nearly 
knocking  him  over.  They  were  evidently  lost,  and  so  be- 
wildered that  eight  of  them  were  easily  captured,  and,  even 
then,  the  remainder  of  the  large  flock  would  not  leave  so  long 
as  the  light  was  visible.  I  think  they  were  the  common  white 
American  pelican. 

JESSE  FRENCH,  Sec.  Chapter  432, 
Grand  Rapids,  La  Moure  Co.,  Dakota. 

BEES  AND  PETUNIAS. 

After  watching  bumble-bees  for  the  whole  summer,  I  have 
never  yet  seen  one  enter  the  tube  of  the  petunia.  Instead  of 
this  they  tmncture  the  wall  of  the  corolla  at  a  point  in  the 
angle  formed  between  it  and  the  calyx,  insert  their  proboscides 
and  extract  the  honey.  GILBERT  VAN  INGEN. 

HOME-BREWED  SNOW-STORM. 

I  can  testify  to  the  following,  which  took  place  in  the 
kitchen  on  wash-day.  It  was  near  Richmond,  Ind.  The  tern- 


NOTES.  127 

perature  was  about  15  degrees  below  zero.  While  the  room 
was  misty  from  the  vapor  from  tubs  and  boilers,  the  outside 
door  was  opened.  A  shaft  of  cold  air  struck  across  the  room, 
and  its  course  was  distinctly  marked  by  the  dense  swarm  of 
well-defined  snow-flakes,  which  fell  rapidly  to  the  floor.  We 
repeated  the  experiment  for  the  sake  of  seeing  a  'home- 
brewed' snow-storm.  JOSEPH  MOORE. 

EFFECT  OF  AN  EARTHQUAKE  ON  INSECTS. 

On  the  night  of  August  31,  when  the  first  tremor  was  felt 
by  members  of  our  family,  the  music  of  hundreds  of  katydids, 
crickets,  and  other  insects  among  the  pines,  suddenly  ceased, 
and  did  not  begin  again  until  after  the  shocks  (which  con- 
tinued about  an  hour)  had  ceased.  The  stars  shone  in  a 
cloudless  sky,  no  wind  was  blowing,  and  an  oppressive  silence 
covered  the  land.  No  sound  was  heard,  with  the  exception  of 
howling  dogs  and  the  cries  of  frightened  negroes. 

CARRIE  H.  GLOSSER, 
Morganton,  N.  C.,  Sec.  Chapter  II. 

MUSKRATS   AND  MUSSEL-SHELLS. 

Having  driven  a  muskrat  into  the  water,  I  found  a  mussel 
which  seemed  to  have  dropped.  It  was  not  open,  but  had  one 
valve  partially  broken  at  one  end.  I  broke  the  ice  and  found 
a  large  pile  of  shells  just  under  the  bank.  These  shells  had 
one  valve  whole,  and  the  other  broken,  at  the  places  where 
the  cords  are  that  hold  the  valves  together. 

ROGER  C.  ADAMS,  Pres.  955. 

I  have  watched  muskrats  by  the  hour:  have  seen  them  go 
into  the  water,  come  up  on  a  log  or  stone  with  a  clam,  sit  down 
on  their  haunches,  take  the  clam  between  their  fore-feet,  and 
pull  the  shell  open  far  enough  to  insert  their  noses  and  ex- 
tract the  mussel.  A.D.  KINNEY,  Pres.  565. 

FLOWER-TRAPS. 

Look  at  the  tempting  pea-blossoms  of  Desmodium  acumi- 
natus,  or  'beggar's  ticks.'  A  fly  alights  upon  the  small  pink 
flower,  when  lo!  it  seems  to  explode,  and  the  insect  is  greeted 
with  the  blinding  cloud  of  dust.  This  is  a  trap  so  delicately 
set,  that,  at  the  lightest  touch,  the  spring,  consisting  of  a  rigid 
column  of  filaments  enclosing  the  young  pod,  is  released  from 


128  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

the  overlapping-  petals,  and  the  anthers  shower  the  intruder 
with  pollen.  But  this  pollen-shower  is  an  innocent  joke  com- 
pared with  the  trap  of  Apocynum  androsaemifolium,  or  'dog- 
bane.5 Let  a  fly  but  thrust  its  tongue  into  a  flower,  and  the 
stamens  instantly  fasten  on  its  tip,  holding  the  fly  in  a  grip 
from  which  it  seldom,  if  ever,  escapes  alive. 

THEODORE  KELLOGG,  De  Pere,  Wis. 

FROGS  AT  HOME  IN  WINTER  TIME. 

Some  of  the  readers  of  these  reports  may  have  been  puzzled 
to  know  where  all  the  frogs  came  from  last  spring,  almost  be- 
fore the  frost  was  out  of  the  ground.  They  all  seemed  well, 
and  able  to  sing;  and  in  no  way  did  they  appear  to  have 
suffered  from  the  cold  weather.  I  am  often  obliged,  during 
the  winter  months,  to  secure  the  assistance  of  a  frog  to  make 
the  fact  of  blood-circulation  plain  to  my  students  in  zoology, 
and,  as  I  do  not  always  have  a  supply  of  frogs  on  hand,  I  have 
many  times  gone  to  their  winter  homes  and  taken  them  out 
of  their  comfortable  quarters  for  a  course  in  the  laboratory. 
A  spring  is  selected,  which  contains  as  many  stones,  sticks, 
leaves,  and  as  much  mud,  as  possible,  and  a  regular  attack 
upon  the  inhabitants  is  at  once  commenced.  I  first  dig  a  ditch 
to  drain  off  the  water,  and  then  I  remove  carefully  the  sticks 
and  stones,  watching  all  the  time  for  signs  of  life  under  each 
piece;  and  afterward  I  dig  down  into  the  mud,  usually  with 
my  hands,  to  avoid  hurting  the  animals  which  may  be  buried 
in  it.  I  have  never  failed  to  catch  several  frogs,  cray-fish, 
newts,  worms,  and  sometimes  minnows  and  smaller  animals, 
fit  for  winter  study.  I  have  always  been  repaid  for  my  trouble 
by  the  enthusiasm  with  which  three  or  four  students— who 
volunteered  to  help  me — dig  in  the  mud  after  the  specimens, 
and  by  the  interest  they  take  in  learning  how  a  frog  passes 
cold  winter  in  the  northwestern  Pennsylvania,  at  an  altitude 
of  twelve  hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  when  the  temperature 
is  often  twenty  degrees  below  zero,  and  the  ground  frozen 
from  three  to  five  feet  deep.  Of  course  large  numbers  of  these 
animals  winter  in  swamps,  though  we  cannot  find  them  there, 
but  we  may  always  be  sure  of  our  game  if  we  choose  a  living 
spring.  J.  H.  MONTGOMERY. 


NOTES.  129 

LINGULAE. 

Chinese  boys  go  on  mud  sleds,  and  dig,  at  low  tide,  from  the 
sandy  shores  of  the  Swatow  Bay,  great  basketfuls  of  lingulae, 
tiny  mollusks  with  thin,  green,  horny,  oblong  shells.  The 
lingulae  is  found  in.  beds,  and  is  often  buried  in  the  muddy 
sand  to  a  depth  of  ten  inches.  It  is  usually  attached  to  a  little 
stone  by  a  muscular  pedicel,  and  by  the  extension  and  con- 
traction of  its  pedicel  it  enjoys  feeding  in  clear  water  at  high 
tide,  and  napping  in  sandy  depths  at  low  tide.  Unlike  the  clam, 
which  has  its  two  shell-valves  on  its  two  sides,  like  a  garment 
that  opens  before  and  behind,  this  little  shell-fish  has  its  two 
shell-valves  on  its  back  and  front,  like  a  garment  that  opens 
at  the  sides.  Moreover,  it  is  one  of  the  very  few  kinds  of 
living  creatures  that  have  existed  unchanged  from  the 
earliest  geological  times.  Before  there  were  men,  or  sheep, 
or  frogs,  or  trout,  there  were  lingulae;  and  this  brave  little 
tribe  has  held  its  place  and  perpetuated  itself  in  the  world 
through  many  changes  of  climate  and  circumstance.  But,  al- 
though it  is  of  so  ancient  race,  it  is  not  intellectually  superior 
to  other  shell-fish,  and  should  serve  as  a  warning  to  us  against 
pride  of  pedigree.  The  Chinese,  who  are  mere  upstarts  in 
comparison  with  it,  sell  it  in  the  market  at  three  cents  a 
pound,  fry  it  in  lard,  and  eat  it  as  a  relish  with  their  rice. 
ADELE  M.  FIELDE,  Swatow,  China. 

A  WOODPECKER'S  SUGAR-BUSH. 

I  have  detected  one  of  our  yellow-bellied  woodpeckers, 
Picus  varius,  tapping  a  maple  tree  for  the  sake  of  the  sap. 
Attracted  to  my  window  by  a  vigorous  hammering,  I  saw  a 
beautiful  male  bird  sinking  a  shaft  near  the  base  of  a  large 
maple.  It  struck  me  as  -being  a  discouraging  place  to  bore 
for  grubs,  as  the  tree  was  healthy  and  the  sounds  from  the 
tapping  gave  no  evidence  of  hollowness;  so  I  thought  at  first 
it  might  be  a  case  of  misguided  instinct,  or  perhaps  merely 
an  experimental  bore.  As  soon  as  one  hole  was  completed  an- 
other was  begun,  and  by  the  time  that  was  done  the  sap  had 
commenced  to  flow  freely  from  the  first.  It  was  then  I  noticed 
that  it  was  the  sweet  sap  the  fellow  was  after,  and  not  with 
the  hope  of  any  other  reward  that  the  bore  was  made,  for, 
as  the  sap  flowed, 'it  was  sipped  up,  first  from  the  first  hole 
and  then  from  the  second,  and  meanwhile,  between  drinks,  the 

*9 


130  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

little  fellow  was  vigorously  at  work  upon  a  third  excavation. 
When  this  was  done,  and  all  three  taps  flowing-  profusely,  his 
sweet  tongue  was  not  yet  sated,  but  his  scarlet  head  was  kept 
bobbing  to  and  fro,  sipping  the  sap  from  the  three  holes,  while 
he  energetically  started  a  fourth.  This  completed,  and  all 
four  taps  well  under  way,  his  whole  attention  was  for  a  few 
moments  devoted  to  his  sugar-bush,  until,  at  length  satisfied, 
he  flew  off— possibly  to  get  a  pickle! 

J.  W.  CLARK,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

VEGETATED  CATERPILLARS. 
By  Chapter  685,  A.  A.,  New  Zealand. 

To  give  an  idea  of  this  singular  curiosity,  one  must  im- 
agine a  grub  or  caterpillar  from  two  to  three  inches  long, 
with  a  dark  brown  body,  in  appearance  not  unlike  a  piece  of 
dried  leather,  while  the  legs,  the  feet,  and  the  mouth  are 
perfect  in  every  detail,  as  if  the  insect  had  been  carefully 
stuffed  and  preserved.  But,  most  curious  of  all,  from  one  end 
there  shoots  out  the  thin  stem  of  a  plant  from  six  to  eight 
inches  long,  perfectly  rounded  and  smooth  in  form  with  a 
rounded  point,  and  of  the  same  color  as  the  caterpillar.  The 
natives  explain  this  by  saying  that  the  grub,  when  alive,  eats 
the  seed  of  some  unknown  plant  or  tree.  This  germinates  in 
its  inside,  and  when  the  insect  buries  itself  in  the  ground  for 
the  purpose  of  changing  into  a  chrysalis,  gradually  kills  it  as 
it  grows;  and  feeds,  as  it  were,  upon  the  vitality  of  its  body. 
The  most  remarkable  feature  is  that  the  process  should  go 
on  while  the  outward  form  of  the  grub  remains  intact.  The 
grub  is  found  underground,  with  the  plant  growing  above  the 
surface.  Some  of  the  natives  are  of  opinion  that  it  is  the  seed 
of  the  Rata  which  the  grub  eats  in  this  way,  but  the  question 
appears  to  be  undecided. 

(Grubs  and  caterpillars  do  not  swallow  seeds,  though  there 
are  grubs  that  eat  into  seeds,  for  example,  peas,  chestnuts, 
and  walnuts.  The  plant,  in  this  case,  is  a  fungus,  named 
Sphaeria  Robertsii,  the  minute  spore  of  which  finds  lodgment 
on  the  outside  of  the  larva.  Another  species,  Sphaeria  Sin- 
ensis,  grows  upon  a  caterpillar  in  China.— Editor.) 


CHAPTER  XV11. 
THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  A.  A. 

The  Council  of  the  A.  A.  is  Composed  of  thirty-five 
specialists  who  have  volunteered  their  services  to  the 
Association,  and  who  hold  themselves  in  constant  readi- 
ness to  answer  questions  in  their  several  departments 
of  science.  They  are  also  willing"  to  aid  our  members 
by  determining  for  them  the  names  of,  specimens.  All 
these  services  are  rendered  without  any  charge  what- 
ever, and  purely  from  a  disinterested  regard  for  young 
students  and  the  general  advancement  of  science.  Many 
of  these  gentlemen  have  been  connected  with  the  A.  A. 
in  this  helpful  capacity  for  more  than  ten  years,  and 
now,  in  renewing  their  gracious  offers  of  assistance,  the 
only  thing  they  make  a  grievance  of  is  the  small  num- 
ber of  demands  upon  their  time.  Our  members  may 
therefore  feel  that  they  will  most  plainly  show  their 
appreciation  of  the  kindness  of  our  Council  by  sending 
to  them  more  and  more  frequently  requests  for  aid  in 
solving  whatever  problems  may  perplex  them. 

There  are  thousands  of  amateur  naturalists  belong- 
ing to  our  Society  (and  thousands  more  whom  we  shall 
be  g-lad  to  welcome  into  it)  who,  living  in  places  of 
more  or  less  isolation,  have  scant  opportunities  for 
special  scientific  instruction.  Such  students  can  now. 
through  the  assistance  of  the  Council  of  the  A.  A.,  prose- 
cute their  scientific  work  at  home  with  a  reasonable  de- 
gree of  success.  They  can  receive  advice  as  to  the  best 
books  for  use  in  their  several'  departments  of  study,  may- 
exchange  specimens  and  reports  with  members  in  other 
parts  of  the  world,  and  all  without  expense.  May  not  the 
A.  A.  thus  be  the  means  of  helping  to  solve  one  of  the 


132  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

most  troublesome  educational  problems  of  the  day? 
Among  the  subjects  treated  by  members  of  the  Council 
are  archaeology,  bibliography,  botany,  chemistry, 
oonchology,  entomology,  geology,  microscopy,  mineral- 
ogy, ornithology,  and  zoology. 

Conditions  of  Correspondence — Those  desiring  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  assistance  of  the  Council  will  observe 
the  following  rules: 

1.  All   applications   for   advice   or   information   on 
any  subject  must  be  made  directly  to  the  President  of 
the  A.  A.,  Mr.  H.  H.  Ballard,  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  who  will 
either  return  a  personal  answer  or  put  the  applicant 
in  communication  with  the  member  of  the  Council  best 
qualified  to  render  the  assistance  desjred. 

2.  Give  full  address,  and  name  and  number  of  your 
Chapter. 

3.  Send  no  specimens  writh  first  letter  of  inquiry, 
except  such  as  may  be  inclosed  in  the  letter  itself. 

4.  Use  ordinary  size  and  style  of  writing  paper, 
and  inclose  five  two-cent  postage  stamps  to  defray  ex- 
penses, and  secure  an  engraved  card  of  introduction. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
HELPS  OVER  HARD  PLACES. 

To  conduct  the  work  of  a  local  society  of  natural 
history  like  one  of  our  chapters  continuously,  with  no 
diminution  in  the  membership  and  with  no  break  in 
the  interest,  is  not  the  easiest  matter  in  the  world;  and 
those  who  enter  upon  the  work  of  the  Agassiz  Associa- 
tion with  the  expectation  of  uninterrupted  sunshine 
are  the  first  to  become  low-spirited  when  the  inevitable 
rainy  days  beg-in.  An  intelligent  apprehension  of  the 
difficulties  to  be  met  and  a  knowledge  of  the  ways 
in  which  these  difficulties  have  been  met  by  others, 
must  be  of  advantage  to  all  who  have  recently  en- 
rolled themselves  among  us,  and  to  all  who  are  con- 
templating that  action.  A  wise  man,  before  beginning 
to  build,  sitteth  down  first  and  counteth  the  cost.  The 
first  trouble  which  chapters  must  expect  is  loss  of 
members.  The  chief  causes  of  this  loss  are  three;  and, 
in  the  order  of  their  frequency,  they  are,  removal  from 
tow,n,  loss  of  interest,  death.  The  population  of  our 
country  is  restless,  and  ten  years  is  a  long  time  for  a 
family  to  remain  in  the  same  town.  This  is  especially 
true  of  the  younger  members  of  the  family,  who  go 
from  home  to  school,  from  school  to  college,  and  from 
college  to  business  or  professional  activity.  Against 
loss  of  members  from  this  cause,  and  from  death,  there 
is  no  remedy;  and,  unless  a  chapter  has  taken  these  In- 
evitable contingencies  into  previous  consideration,  it  is 
hard  for  it  to  stand  the  shock  of  the  first  removal.  The 
best  way  to  prevent  the  collapse  of  a  chapter  upon  the 
loss  of  leading  members  is  to  have,  from  the  first,  a  fixed 
determination  to  found  and  establish  the  chapter  as  a 


134  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

permanent  and  self-supporting-  society;  and  not  at  all  as 
a  transient  class.  Let  everything1  be  done  with  an  eye 
to  perpetuity.  Let  the  officers  be  such  persons  as  are 
least  likely  to  be  called  away;  i.  e-,  residents  in  the  town 
rather  than  visitors,  principals  of  schools  rather  than 
assistants  or  pupils,  persons  of  steady  character  and  en- 
durance rather  than  those  of  vacillating1  and  fitful  dis- 
position. Let  property  be  acquired  by  the  chapter  as 
such.  A  library,  a  cabinet,  a  room,  a  building1,  all  tend 
to  stability.  Again,  let  there  be  such  a  system  of  en- 
listing desirable  members  from  time  to  time,  especially 
from  the  entering  classes  of  schools  and  colleges,  as 
shall  render  the  chapter  continually  able  to  sustain  the 
loss  of  any  who  may  be  obliged  to  withdraw. 

With  regard  to  the  third  cause  of  loss,  decreasirg 
interest,  the  remedy  is  twofold.  In  the  first  place,  by 
way  of  prevention,  only  such  should  be  received  into  the 
society  as  give  reasonable  promise  of  perseverance.  It  is 
not  usually  those  who  are  most  easily  roused  to  excited 
enthusiasm  who  make  the  most  steadfast  workers. 
Choose,  rather,  those  who  feel  their  need  of  knowl- 
edge, and  are  willing  to  work  patiently  and  persistently 
to  acquire  it.  Having,  then,  carefully  organized,  the 
utmost  care  should  be  taken  to  have  the  offices  dis- 
tributed with  absolute  fairness.  Those  who  are  most 
earnestly  zealous  for  the  prosperity  of  the  work,  com- 
monly care  least  about  the  honors,  but  should  be  willing 
to  accept  them  if  offered.  The  next  essential  thing  is  to 
keep  every  member  at  work,  not  by  compulsion,  but  by 
providing  an  abundance  of  congenial  occupation,  and 
by  generously  recognizing  and  applauding  every  faith- 
ful effort.  It  is  also  indispensable  that  every  member 
be  kept  fully  informed  of  the  condition  and  progress 
of  the  Agassiz  Association  at  large,  and  be  led  to  take 


HELPS.  135 

an  active  interest  in  its  growth  and  prosperity.  In  the 
second  place  we  must  be  prepared  for  inconstancy  and 
defection,  to  a  certain  extent,  in  despite  of  our  most 
conscientious  efforts  to  maintain  interest;  and,  when 
it  comes,  \ve  must  neither  be  indignant  nor  discour- 
aged. We  must  not  be  indignant,  because  steady,  perse- 
vering- action  is  not  natural  in  young-  persons,  but 
comes  as  the  result  of  unusual  native  endowment  or  of 
careful  training--  The  interest  boys  take  even  in  their 
sports  is  fitful.  They  have  'fevers;' — the  baseball  fever, 
the  kite  fever,  the  collecting-  fever,  the  Ag-assiz  Asso- 
ciation fever.  Moreover  many  causes  conspire  to  make 
the  interest  less  at  some  times  than  others, — the  fluctu- 
ations of  the  weather,  the  inequalities  of  health,  the 
presence  of  unusual  outside  attractions,  the  pressure 
of  approaching-  examinations.  We  must  not  be  dis- 
courag-ed,  because  all  these  causes  of  a  lack  of  interest 
are  transient.  Baseball  will  be  played  just  as  vigorous- 
ly when  next  season  comes  around;  the  now  neglected 
kites  are  sure  to  be  tugging  again  at  their  strings  by 
and  by;  the  collection,  now  forgotten  and  covered  with 
dust,  will  be  cleaned  and  put  in  order  after  a  time;  and 
the  interest  in  our  Association  work  that  languishes  in 
December,  will  certainly  bloom  again  in  May.  More 
than  this,  when  the  next  wave  of  interest  comes,  it  will 
come  with  more  staying  power;  we  shall  all  be  a  little 
older;  we  shall  have  profited  by  the  errors  of  the  past. 
The  best  chapters  we  have  to-day,  many  of  them,  are 
chapters  that  have  disbanded  once  or  twice,  and  once 
and  again  reorganized.  It  is  from  these  considerations 
that  we  were  led  to  insert  that  clause  in  our  rules,  by 
which  so  long  as  even  one  member  retains  his  interest, 
he  is  allowed  to  retain  the  name  and  number  of  a  chap- 
ter, once  properly  organized,  and  maintained  for  six 


136  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

months.  Wherever  one  earnest,  faithful,  indomitable 
worker  is  found,  ultimate  success  is  sure.  Let  us  all 
imitate  old  Ben  Johnson,  who  said,  "When  I  take  the 
humor  to  a  thing1  once,  I  am  like  your  tailor's  needle— 
/  f/o  nirougli" 

In  illustration  of  the  same  subject,  we  print  here 
part  of  a  report  from  an  excellent  chapter:  "This  pro- 
gramme worked  very  well  for  a  time,  but  soon,  for  some 
members,  the  novelty  of  the  thing1  wore  off,  and,  conse- 
quently, their  interest  beg-an  to  flag1.  They  still  attend 
the  meeting's  when  there  were  no  parties  or  entertain- 
ments to  go  to,  or  when  their  girls  could  not  go  walk- 
ing', but  they  did  not  attend  the  meetings  out  of  any  de- 
sire to  gain  knowledge.  The  few  who  took  an  interest 
in  their  work  did  good  work;  so  good  that,  in  less  than 
six  months,  we  had  over  three  hundred  specimens  in 
our  cabinet,  of  which  two  hundred  and  eight  were  la- 
beled and  catalogued.  We  had,  besides  these,  a  large 
number  of  bird's-eggs  and  insects.  Among  other  things 
we  counted  valuable,  were  a  buffalo's  head,  and  a  case  of 
birds  worth  nearly  thirty  dollars-  We  owned  a  library 
of  excellent  books  on  zoology,  mineralogy,  and  entomol- 
ogy. Our  meetings  we  held  weekly  at  my  home  till  Oc- 
tober, and  after  that  at  a  room  for  which  we  paid  four 
dollars  per  month.  It  certainly  seems  that,  with  every- 
thing around  us  helping,  and  everybody  willing  to  help 
us,  we  might  have  had  an  excellent  chapter.  The  case 
was,  however,  that  out  of  the  fifteen  active  members 
with  which  our  chapter  was  blessed,  just  nine  were 
more  of  a  hindrance  than  a  help.  They  sometimes  con- 
descended to  attend  the  meetings,  but  when  they  did 
so  those  who  wanted  to  work  groaned  to  themselves  and 
to  each  other.  No  one  could  read  an  essay  or  extract, 
for  when  he  began,  all  those  who  did  not  care  for  it 


HELPS.  137 

begun  to  talk  and  laugh,  or  box  and  wrestle.  Soon  those 
who  wanted  to^work  began  to  lose  heart,  and  finally, 
just  a  year,  lacking*  two  days,  from  the  day  we  organ- 
ized, \ve  disbanded.  Still  there  were  four  of  us  who 
never  dropped  the  idea  of  having  a  good  chapter  in  time. 
Each  of  our  four  enthusiasts  worked  steadily  during 
the  summer,  one  collecting  eggs  and  studying  and 
stuffing  birds  and  collecting  insects,  another  learning 
to  stuff  birds,  the  third  collecting  minerals,  and  myself 
collecting  eggs.  Two  of  our  members  have  finished 
cabinets,  made  by  themselves.  Through  all  our 
troubles  we  have  had  an  earnest  desire  to  go  on  with  our 
studies  and  form  a  new  chapter,  that  wre  might  get  to- 
gether once  a  week  and  discuss  the  things  of  interest 
we  had  seen  in  our  rambles.  Last  Wednesday  our  new 
chapter,  consisting  of  four  members,  held  its  second 
meeting  at  the  home  of  the  president,  and  finished  draw- 
ing up  a  constitution.  The  only  officers  we  now  have 
are  a  president  and  secretary.  No  person  can  become  a 
member  of  this  chapter  without  a  vote  of  every  member. 
We  are  going  to  make  the  initiation  fee  the  contribution 
of  one  year's  subscription  to  some  paper  on  natural 
history.  We  are  not  going  to  keep  a  cabinet,  but  when 
any  interesting  specimen  is  obtained  it  is  to  be  brought 
to  the  next  meeting,  and  a  paper  \vritten  about  the 
specimen  is  to  be  read  by  the  finder.  At  each  meeting 
the  secretary  reads  from  some  paper  or  book  an  article 
on  natural  history,  and  at  the  next  meeting  each  mem- 
ber is  to  read  an  essay,  written  from  memory,  giving'  as 
nearly  as  possible  the  substance  of  the  article  read.  In 
this  way  we  shall  remember  better  the  things  about 
which  we  study.  We  think  that  we  shall  at  last  succeed. 
I  would  like  to  say  to  all  the  chapters  that  have  among 
their  members  persons  who  fool  away  their  time,  and 


138  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

who  do  not  respect  the  desires  and  rights  of  those 
around  them,  but  spoil  their  pleasure,  and  steal  their 
profit,  that  the  best  thing  they  can  do  for  the  welfare 
of  their  chapter  is  to  put  such  persons  out.  Such  persons 
are  worse  for  the  chapter  than  all  the  discouragement 
and  ridicule  that  can  be  heaped  upon  it  by  outsiders." 

THE  SUMMER  VACATION. 

During  July  and  August  most  of  our  schools  and 
colleges  will  close  their  doors,  many  of  those  who  live 
in  cities  will  fasten  the  shutters,  and  the  Agassiz  As- 
sociation will  be  let  loose  along  the  seashore  and  in  the 
forest  and  fields.  Summer  brings  her  arms  full  of 
leaves  and  flowers;  the  softened  earth  loosens  its  grasp 
on  mineral  and  fossil;  the  air  is  gay  with  floating  but- 
terflies, and  musical  with  the  hum  of  beetles  and  the 
songs  of  birds;  nests  in  shaded  thickets  hold  dainty 
secrets;  soft-bodied  creatures  are  slowly  moving  their 
frail  and  beautiful  houses  of  shell  along  briny  sands 
and  over  spongy  moss;  and  the  warm  air  and  clear  sky 
continually  invite  all  who  are  tired  of  roof  and  wall  to 
go  out  into  the  larger  habitation  which  is  one  continu- 
ous doorway  all  around,  and  infinite  open  window  over- 
head. With  all  these  advantages  of  field  study,  the  vaca- 
tion is  a  trying  and  dangerous  season  for  many  of  our 
chapters.  With  the  close  of  school  classes  separate,  some 
never  to  be  reunited,  few  to  come  together  without  some 
change.  The  regular  succession  of  meetings  is  interrupt- 
ed at  the  best,  and  unless  the  interests  of  the  society 
are  kept  in  mind  during  the  summer,  there  is  likely  to 
l)e  more  or  less  difficulty  about  reorganizing  in  the  fall. 
To  avoid  these  dangers,  let  each  member  keep  his 
thoughts  on  the  fall  reunion  while  he  is  away,  and  try 


SUMMER  VACATION.  139 

to  find  as  many  interesting1  specimens  as  possible  to 
bring-  back  and  exhibit  by  and  by.  Some  chapters  offer 
little  prizes  for  the  best  summer  work,  to-be  awarded 
after  due  examination  of  specimens  and  note-books. 
It  is  well,  too,  to  remember  the  General  Association, 
and  to  strive  to  make  its  aims  and  methods  more  widely 
known  as  we  journey  from  place  to  place.  Some  of  our 
young  friends  establish  chapters  in  almost  every  place 
they  visit,  maintaining  also  during  their  absence  regular 
correspondence  with  their  companions  who  are  detained 
at  home.  In  this  way  the  close  of  the  vacation  finds  in- 
creased, rather  than  diminished,  interest  in  nature,  and 
the  chapter  gains  a  new  impulse  and  enters  upon  its 
work  with  fresh  elasticity  and  vigor. 


CHAPTEK  XIX. 

THE  BADGE,  THE  CHARTER,  "THE  SWISS  CROSS,"  THE 
HAND-BOOK. 

The  badge  of  the  Agassiz  Association  is  the  Swiss 
cross.  It  is  appropriate  because  Professor  Louis  Agassiz 
was  born  in  Switzerland.  The  number  on  the  badges 
changes  with  each  chapter,  and  is  the  number  by  which 
each  chapter  is  known.  Mr.  Hayward,  now  of  Taunton, 
Mass.,  has  manufactured  these  badg-es  for  us  since  the 
beginning  of  our  work,  and  has  given  excellent  satisfac- 
tion. He  makes  the  badges  of  plain  silver  and  gold,  and 
also,  when  desired,  ornaments  them  with  gems,  and 
makes  them  into  pins  and  other  articles  of  jewelry.  He 
will  furnish  an  illustrated  price-list  on  application.  It 
is  very  pleasant  to  one  traveling  at  a  distance  to  meet 
a  stranger  wearing  the  neat  little  cross  of  the  A.  A.,  for 
it  frequently  leads  to  a  desirable  acquaintance. 

THE   CHARTER. 

As  each  chapter  organizes,  there  is  sent  to  it  a  cer- 
tificate of  admission,  giving  its  name,  number,  and  letter, 
together  with  the  date  on  which  its  annual  report  will 
fall  due.  Many  chapters  have  expressed  a  desire  for 
something  nicer  than  this  cheap  certificate,  which  is, 
after  all,  the  best  that  can  be  afforded  gratis,  and  we 
have  therefore  designed  and  caused  to  be  engraved  a 
charter  suitable  for  framing.  It  is  printed  on  heavy 
bond  paper,  in  the  manner  of  a  college  diploma-  At  the 
top  is  an  excellent  likeness  of  Professor  Louis  Agassiz. 
This  head  is  from  a  photograph  kindly  furnished  for 
this  purpose  by  Mrs.  Agassiz,  and  the  reproduction  has 
received  her  cordial  approval.  The  photograph  repre- 
sents Professor  Agassiz  seated  at  a  table  and  looking 


THE  HAND-BOOK.  141 

down,  in  his  intent,  penetrating1  manner,  at  a  sea-urchin 
which  he  holds  in  his  hand.  The  vignette  engraving- 
does  not  of  course  reproduce  the  whole  figure,  but  it 
gives  very  happily  the  fine  face,  and  shows  us  the  great 
naturalist  engaged  in  what  was  the  chief  business  of  his 
life — personal  observation.  One  great  advantage  of  a 
handsome  charter  is  that  it  attracts  the  immediate  at- 
tention of  all  visitors  to  the  rooms  of  a  chapter,  and 
leads  to  inquiries  which  often  open  the  way  to  an  invita- 
tion to  the  society.  Then,  too,  it  is  a  constant  stimulus 
to  the  chapter  itself,  and  a  strong  bond  of  union  among 
its  members,  like  a  flng  to  an  army  of  soldiers.  This 
charter  is  furnished  postpaid,  for  seventy-five  cents. 

THE  HAND-BOOK. 

This  little  volume  has  grown  in  a  somewhat  peculiajr 
manner.  The  president  of  the  A.  A.  kept  a  record  for 
several  years  of  all  the  different  questions  asked  by  his 
correspondents.  The  answers  to  these  inquiries,  ar- 
ranged somewhat  systematically,  constitute  this  hand- 
book. 


CHAPTEK  XX. 
RECAPITULATION  AND  CONCLUSION. 

What,  then,  is  the  Agassiz  Association  as  it  ap- 
pears to-day?  And  what  claims  has  it  upon  the  interest 
of  the  public  ?  It  is  a  union  of  local  societies,  each  num- 
bering from  4  to  120  members,  of  all  ages  from  4  to  84. 
Our  total  membership  is  above  ten  thousand.  We  are 
distributed  in  all  the  States  and  Territories  with  very 
few  exceptions  and  have  strong  branch  societies  and  ac- 
tive members  in  Canada,  England,  Ireland,  Scotland, 
France,  Chili,  and  Japan. 

The  local  societies  are  known  as  chapters.  They 
take  their  names  from  the  towns  where  they  are  es- 
tablished, and  are  further  distinguished  by  the  letters 
of  the  alphabet.  Thus  the  first  chapter  established  in 
New  York  City  was  called  New  York  (A);  the  second, 
New  York  (B),  and  so  on.  They  also  have  the  privilege, 
if  desired,  of  adopting  such  other  distinctive  names  as 
they  may  choose,  such  as  'The  Manhatta.n  Chapter,'  'The 
Hyatt  Chapter,'  'The  Cuvier  Chapter,'  etc. 

The  word  'association'  was  chosen  instead  of  'so- 
ciety' from  an  impression,  perhaps  not  entirely  well 
founded,  that  that  word  could  be  taken  to  mean  'a  union 
of  societies,'  just  as  society  means  'a  union  of  individu- 
als.' And  our  first  plan  was  to  have  these  local  socie- 
ties entirely  independent  of  one  another,  except  in  the 
general  name  and  in  the  purpose  of  studying  nature.  At 
that  time  no  conventions  were  thought  of,  assemblies 
were  not  in  mind,  courses  of  study  had  not  been  con- 
templated, a  badge  was  not  designed,  nor  had  we  sup- 
posed it  possible  that  thorough  scientific  work  could 
be  systematically  done  by  many  of  the  chapters,  if  at 
all. 


CONCLUSION.  143 

We  chose  the  name  'Agassiz'  because  it  was  then  up- 
permost in  mind.  His  then  recent  death  was  fresh  in  the 
hearts  of  the  nation ;  and  his  birth  in  Switzerland,  where 
a  similar  organization  was  said  to  exist,  rendered  it  es- 
pecially appropriate.  The  choice  was  wiser  than  we 
knew.  No  one  can  read  Mrs.  Agassiz's  life  of  her  hus- 
band without  feeling  that  no  name  could  better  stim- 
ulate us  to  faithful  work. 

Having  thus  selected  the  name,  a  letter  was  sent  to 
Prof.  Alexander  Agassiz,  asking  permission  publicly  to 
adopt  it.  Professor  Agassiz  replied  that  he  "cordially 
assents  that  this  very  pleasant  and  useful  plan  for  chil- 
dren be  called  the  Agassiz  Association,  and  that  we  have 
his  hearty  good  wishes  for  its  success." 

The  societies  that  joined  us  during  the  first  year  or 
two  of  our  existence,  when  our  plans  were  still  uncer- 
tain and  our  methods  comparatively  crude,  retain  in 
many  cases  the  notion  that  the  Agassiz  Association 
to-day  is  the  same  loose  organization  it  was  at  first — 
an  aggregation  of  local  societies  united  only  in  name, 
allowed  to  drift  hither  and  thither  without  direction 
or  assistance.  But  the  necessity  for  careful  supervision 
and  guidance  has  grown  more  and  more  apparent.  We 
have  been  constantly  beseiged  with  requests  for  system- 
atic courses  of  study,  elaborate  plans  for  work,  personal 
counsel  and  advice.  Courses  of  study  have  accordingly 
been  added,  plans  of  work  sketched,  and  a  regular  sys- 
tem of  reports  established.  The  conditions  of  admission 
have  been  defined,  and,  in  short,  more  business-like 
methods  adopted,  until  we  now  resemble  rather  an  ex- 
tended school  with  numerous  classes  than  an  ordinary 
society. 

I  may  mention  four  different  sorts  of  chapters. 
First,  family  chapters.  The  parents  and  children  of 


144  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

a  single  family  unite  for  joint  study  and  research.  Chap- 
ters of  this  sort  are  especially  desirable,  and  prove  al- 
most uniformly  permanent.  Chapters  of  another  sort 
are  found  in  schools.  There  are  many  teachers  able  and 
willing  to  give  their  strength  and  time,  beyond  the  ex- 
acting requirements  of  their  contracts,  to  the  encour- 
agement and  assistance  of  their  pupils.  Under  the  fos- 
tering care  of  such  men  and  women,  the  happiest  results 
have  been  accomplished.  Not  the  least  important  re- 
sult is  seen  in  the  pleasant  personal  relations  thus  es- 
tablished between  teacher  and  pupil.  Chapters  of  a  third 
kind  are  organized  and  conducted  entirely  by  young 
persons.  A  company  of  girls  or  boys  meet  together  and 
decide  to  form  a  branch  of  the  A.  A.  They  elect  their 
officers,  draft  their  rules  and  by-Jaws,  engage  their 
rooms,  draft  their  cabinets,  make  their  collections,  prose- 
cute their  studies;  and,  if  I  needed  to  awaken  interest 
or  arouse  enthusiasm,  I  should  have  only  to  show  what 
our  g'irls  and  boys  have  done  even  when  unaided  and 
alone.  They  have  made  lists  of  the  flowers  that 
grow  about  them,  and  of  the  birds  that  fly  over  their 
heads.  They  have  published  papers,  started  museums, 
founded  libraries.  In  doing  this  they  have  mastered 
the  laws  of  parliamentary  debate;  have  learned  to  ob- 
serve with  accuracy,  to  write  with  fluency,  to  speak 
with  power;  and,  after  working  thus  for  a  few  years, 
many  of  them  have  pushed  themselves  into  schools  and 
colleges  and  laboratories  of  the  highest  grade,  and  are 
now  completing  their  self -appointed  preparation  for 
lives  of  commanding  intelligence  and  cheerful  service. 
Finally  I  will  mention  chapters  of  adults.  In  increas- 
ing numbers  men  and  women  of  mature  years,  feeling 
the  need  of  that  scientific  training  which  the  schools 
of  their  childhood  failed  to  give,  are  organizing  societies. 


1 


CONCLUSION.  145 

joining-  their  influence  to  our  Association,  and  receiving 
in  return  the  benefits  coming-  from  united  endeavor  and 
from  enthusiastic  devotion  to  a  common  cause. 

Embracing-  all  the  chapters,  and  making-  room  also 
for  individuals  when  chapters  cannot  well  be  formed, 
is  our  Agassiz  Association.  And  the  influence  and  pros- 
perity of  each  chapter  and  assembly  can  be  increased 
and  perpetuated  by  spreading  everywhere  we  go  a  knowl- 
edge of  our  local  work  not  only,  and  of  our  local  organi- 
zation, but  also,  and  even  with  more  emphasis,  a  knowl- 
edge of  our  entire  Association,  with  its  broader  member- 
ship and  its  farther-reaching  aims. 

Our  Association  is  not  by  any  means  great  or  power- 
ful. Yet,  on  the  other  hand,  while  we  have  no  excuse  for 
vanity,  neither  need  we  feel  vexation  of  spirit.  Our  pur- 
poses are  good,  our  methods  right. 

Scientific  men  of  highest  repute,  men  like  Ramsey 
of  England,  and  men  like  Agassiz,  Hyatt,  Winchell, 
Kemsen,  Gould,  Gilman,  and  Scudder  of  America,  have 
extended  to  us  the  hand  of  recognition. 

The  press  has  almost  always  been  indulgent;  and. 
although  we  have  often  exposed  ourselves  to  fair  at- 
tacks of  satire,  our  real  desire  to  do  honest  work  has 
turned  the  most  caustic  pen  to  kindness. 

In  speaking  of  our  helpers,  I  should  be  unjust  if  I 
failed  to  mention  with  renewed  gratitude  and  honor  the 
large  number  of  scientists  who  have  voluntarily  devoted 
their  valuable  time  to  the  cheerful  and  patient  assist- 
ance of  our  needs.  More  than  fifty  gentlemen  represent- 
ing all  departments  of  science  hold  themselves  always 
ready  to  answer  the  questions  that  puzzle  us.  Thanks 
to  their  benevolence,  the  boy  who  lives  in  the  remotest 
and  smallest  village  can  send  his  bit  of  stone  or  his  curi- 
ous beetle  to  one  of  these  men,  and  learn  its  name  and 

no 


146  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

history,  and,  better  still,  be  taught  how  he  may  best 
study  by  himself  its  structure  and  its  history.  Some 
of  these  professors  have  even  volunteered  to  conduct 
courses  of  study  in  various  branches.  We  have  had 
courses  in  botany,  entomology  and  mineralogy. 

It  seems  at  first  thought  difficult,  if  not  impossible, 
to  suggest  any  general  principle  of  study  that  can  apply 
to  the  whole  association,  for  it  is  composed  of  elements 
so  diverse.  We  are  of  all  ages,  of  varying  capacitievS  and 
differing-  desires,  living  in  places  widely  distant  and 
strangely  different.  Some  of  us  pick  our  violets  in  June, 
others  in  January.  But  there  is  a  common  ground  on 
which  all  stand — love  for  nature,  and  desire  to  learn. 
And  there  is  one  principle  that  underlies  and  determines 
the  methods  of  our  study.  It  is  this:  Nature  must  be 
studied  from  her  own  book. 

While,  therefore,  we  do  not  undervalue  the  printed 
records  of  others'  work,  and  while  we  ever  recog'nize  in 
printed  books  and  papers  necessary  and  cherished 
guides,  yet  we  believe  that  our  first  business  is  to  meet 
Nature  face  to  face.  Therefore  we  leave  the  confines  of 
the  library  and  school,  and  go  out  under  the  open  sky — 
into  the  forest,  and  along  the  stream.  Forgetting  theory 
and  useless  wrangling,  it  is  our  purpose  to  see  things  as 
they  are,  and  to  record  them  as  we  see  them.  It  is- the 
business  of  the  Agassiz  Association  to  live  for  the  truth. 

Those  who  first  joined  our  ranks  are  growing  out 
of  childhood  into  manhood  and  womanhood.  Many  adult 
chapters,  too,  are  forming;  and  perhaps  to-day  one- 
quarter  of  our  total  membership  may  be  over  twenty 
years  of  age.  What  can  we  do  for  this  increasing  class? 
In  the  first  place  we  can  give  them  the  opportunity  to 
help  the  younger,  even  as  they  themselves  have  been 
helped  while  young.  It  is  to  them,  the  scientists  of  the 


CONCLUSION.  147 

future,  that  we  must  soon  look  for  special  help,  instruc- 
tion and  guidance.  Meanwhile  we  need  them  still  among1 
us  to  encourage  us  by  their  example,  and  to  aid  us  by 
their  work.  And  we  want  to  help  them,  too.  We  must 
provide  higher  courses  of  study — discover  the  best  books 
for  students  more  advanced,  and  help  those  who  need 
it  to  secure  the  best  instruction.'  I  was  greatly  pleased, 
while  resting  by  the  sea,  to  find  in  the  laboratory  at 
Annisquam,  among  the  twenty-five  earnest  workers  who 
were  bending  day  after  day,  and  night  after  night,  over 
the  dissecting-table  and  the  microscope,  no  less  than 
seven  men  and  women  who  either  are  or  have  been  mem- 
bers of  the  Agassiz  Association.  Here  is  the  moral  of  it: 
youthful  observation  of  nature,  wisely  directed,  grows 
into  manly  and  womanly  consecration  to  science. 

Now,  one  thing'  our  Association  ought  to  do  in  the 
near  future  is  to  secure  control  of  one  or  more  tables 
in  this  and  other  thoroughly  eqiiipped  laboratories,  and 
place  them  year  by  year  freely  at  the  disposal  of  such 
of  our  number  as  may  show  themselves  worthy. 

We  wish  also  to  establish  courses  of  study  with 
greater  regularitj',  and  of  wider  range.  I  should  like 
to  see  a  yearly  correspondence  course  in  each  of  the 
branches  of  natural  science,  conducted  by  the  best 
teachers  of  America.  I  should  wish  these  courses,  speci- 
mens included,  to  be  absolutely  free;  and  I  should  wish 
the  men  who  give  them  well  paid  for  their  time  and 
work. 

At  present,  as  we  depend  entirely  upon  volunteers, 
our  courses,  though  frequent,  are  rather  desultory,  and 
accompanied  with  some  slight  expense  for  specimens 
and  printing.  To  do  all  we  hope  to  do  will  cost  much 
money,  and  the  money  must  be  raised.  The  Agassiz 
Association  must  be  endowed,  and  the  money  will  come, 


148  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

as  time  and  devoted  labor  have  long  since  come.  There 
are  plenty  of  wealthy  men  and  women  ready  to  g-ive 
money  as  soon  as  we  can  prove  that  it  can  be  given  safe- 
ly, worthily  and  well.  Now,  here  we  have  a  school  of 
more  than  ten  thousand  pupils,  confined  to  no  one  city, 
no  one  State,  no  one  denomination.  We  have  a  corps  of 
fifty  volunteer  instructors.  We  need  no  expensive  build- 
ings. And  if  we  find  that  in  order  to  meet  the  needs  of 
our  maturing  membership  we  need  a  fund  of  ten  or 
twenty  or  fifty  thousand  dollars,  whose  income  shall  be 
applied  to  giving  worthy  young'  men  and  women  a  chance 
to  work  under  competent  instruction,  I  have  faith  to 
believe  that  some  man  will  be  found  deep  enough  in 
pocket,  and  broad  enough  in  heart,  to  endow  the 
Ag'assiz  Association  as  he  might  a  collegiate  chair  or  a 
private  school-  Let  each  chapter  and  each  member  be 
like  Diogenes,  ever  peering  about  with  lig-hted  lantern  to 
find  this  man. 

But  we  need  not  wait  for  that.  There  is  enough 
we  can  do  unaided;  and,  indeed,  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  labor  voluntarily  expended  by  boys  and  girls  in 
building  their  own  cabinets,  and  by  girls  in  decorating* 
and  caring  for  their  assembly-rooms,  is  the  cause  of  the 
truest  satisfaction  and  enjoyment,  and  is  also  produc- 
tive of  the  greatest  interest  in  the  weightier  matters  of 
scientific  study.  You  can  see  most  clearly  through  a 
microscope  that  you  have  worked  and  waited  for. 

If  the  endowment  ought  to  come,  it  will  come  in 
due  time:  but  in  the  meanwhile  let  each  continue  to 
do  his  best  where  he  happens  to  be.  The  way  to  help 
the  whole  Association  is  to  give  your  best  attention  to 
your  individual  work.  Let  the  little  ones  gather  their 
pebbles  and  their  flowers.  Let  the  elder  look  more  close- 
ly into  the  structure  and  the  habits  of  bird,  or  beast. 


CONCLUSION.  149 

or  plant.  Let  us  all  be  always  living-  for  the  truth,  and 
striving'  to  read  in  every  leaf  of  Nature's  book  her  lesson 
of  faith,  her  lesson  of  hope,  her  lesson  of  love. 

Admirably  has  one  of  our  Iowa  chapters  united 
science  and  humanity.  Organized  as  a  society  of  scien- 
tific workers,  it  has  made  itself  also  a  band  of  mercy. 
It  has  proved  that,  although  the  eye  of  Science  is  keen, 
her  heart  need  not  be  cold,  and  that  her  hand,  how- 
ever cunning-,  may  yet  be  kind.  Two  kindred  spirits 
were  Agassiz  and  Aubudon;  and  very  many  who  with 
us,  have  enrolled  themselves  under  the  name  'Agassiz,' 
have  also  joined  the  Aubudon  Society,  while  many  others 
are  learning* — regarding-  birds  not  only,  but  every  living* 
thing- — never  needlessly  to  hurt  or  to  destroy. 

What,  after  all,  is  our  purpose  in  studying-  Nature? 
Is  it  to  g-et  for  ourselves  collections  of  rare  and  beauti- 
ful objects?  Is  it  to  amuse  us  during-  our  leisure  hours? 
Is  it  to  train  our  powers  of  observation  and  strengthen 
our  minds  by  careful  discipline?  Is  it  to  satisfy  our 
natural  thirst  for  knowledge,  and  to  become  familiar 
with  all  the  little  strangers  of  the  roadside  and  the 
wood  ?  It  is  all  this,  but  it  should  be  much  more.  We 
ought  to  be  learning  the  grand  and  solemn  lesson  that 
a  Divine  mind  is  showing  its  wisdom  in  every  leaf  and 
pebble,  and  that  a  Divine  heart  is  expressing  its  love  in 
every  raindrop  and  in  every  flower-  This  was  the  truth 
that  ffllecl  the  heart  of  him  for  whom  our  Association 
is  named— this  was  the  secret  of  his  untiring  zeal,  and 
the  key  to  his  deep  love  of  Nature.  It  has  grown  to  be  a 
pleasant  custom  for  our  chapters  to  celebrate  Professor 
Ag-assiz's  birthday  (May  28),  by  means  of  an  excursion 
or  picnic,  combined  with  appropriate  literary  exercises; 
and  perhaps  on  such  an  occasion  nothing  will  more  truly 
bring'  home  to  us  the  sweet  spirit  of  the  great  naturalist 


150  THREE  KINGDOMS. 

than  Whitter's  poem,  'The  Prayer  of  Ag-assiz;'  or  Long-- 
fellow's lines  on  his  fiftieth  birthday,  which  by  the 
courtesy  of  his  publishers,  we  are  able  to  reproduce. 


THE  FIFTIETH  BIRTHDAY  OF  AGASSIZ. 

MAT  28,  1867. 

It  was  fifty  years  ago, 

In  the  pleasant  month  of  May, 

In  the  beautiful  Pays  de  Vaud, 
A  child  in  its  cradle  lay. 

And  Nature,  the  old  nurse,  took 

The  child  upon  her  knee, 
Saying-:     "Here  is  a  story-book 

Thy  Father  has  written  for  thee." 

"Come,  wander  with  me,"  she  said, 

"Into  regions  yet  untrod, 
And  read  Avhat  is  still  unread 

In  the  manuscripts  of  God." 

And  he  wandered  away  and  away 
With  Nature,  the  dear  old  nurse, 

Who  sang-  to  him  nig-ht  and  day 
The  rhymes  of  the  universe. 

And  whenever  the  way  seemed  long-, 

Or  his  heart  began  to  fail, 
She  would  sing-  a  more  wonderful  song, 

Or  tell  a  more  marvelous  tale. 

So  she  keeps  him  still  a  child, 

And  will  not  let  him  go, 
Though  at  times  his  heart  beats  wild 

For  the  beautiful  Pays  de  Vaud. 

Though  at  times  he  hears  in  his  dreams 

The  Ran 7  rles  Vaches  of  old. 
And  the  rush  of  mountain  streams, 

From  glaciers  clear  and  cold; 

And  mother  at  home  says,  "Hark! 

For  his  voice  I  listen  and  yearn; 
It  is  growing  late  and  dark,' 

And  my  boy  does  not  return." 

THE  END. 


